Chicago Tries To Hide From ACLJ Lawsuit

Increasingly, cities across the country – including New York and Chicago – are treating Christian evangelism as a public nuisance.

It seems like everywhere we turn, the war on public evangelism is intensifying. From street preachers to pro-life advocates, people of faith who dare to speak publicly are facing the same chilling message: Stay quiet – or face the consequences.

At the ACLJ, we’re seeing this unconstitutional trend play out in real time. Localities are enforcing vague ordinances unevenly, detaining peaceful preachers. We know that faith doesn’t have to stay behind closed doors. Your faith is allowed in the public square.

Christians don’t have to hide their faith. You don’t give up your rights when you step onto a sidewalk with a Bible. Evangelicals are not second-class citizens in the public square. In America, your right to speak – even boldly, even publicly – does not hinge on whether local authorities approve of your message.

Right Now, the Battlefield Is Chicago

Earlier this year, we filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Chicago on behalf of three young Christian men – Brett Raio, Reetik Dhamala, and Perez Ndi – who were arrested near Millennium Park for one reason: peacefully preaching the Gospel in a public space.

They weren’t causing disruption. They weren’t blocking traffic. They weren’t threatening anyone. They were simply proclaiming truth – using a small speaker system, reading Scripture, calling people to Christ. And for that, they were handcuffed and taken into custody.

We first secured a win for Brett, who saw all charges dismissed after we intervened and brought the truth to light. But Reetik and Perez were arrested days later, under nearly identical circumstances, in the exact same location.

These weren’t one-off incidents or misunderstandings. They were part of a pattern – where local officials treat religious speech as the one kind of speech not welcome in public. That’s why we sued.

Chicago Moves To Dismiss

Unsurprisingly, the city of Chicago is now trying to shut this lawsuit down before it even gets off the ground. They’ve filed a Motion to Dismiss – relying on all the usual tactics:

• Claiming that an isolated incident doesn’t make out an official policy.
• Claiming the individual officers are shielded by qualified immunity.
• Asserting that “probable cause” excuses the arrests, no matter the context or viewpoint involved.

But the facts and the Constitution tell a different story.

Our Legal Response: You Can’t Hide From the First Amendment

In our opposition to the city’s motion, we laid out a clear, constitutional case:

• These arrests weren’t isolated: They were repeated, in the same place, under the same ordinances, against speakers proclaiming the same religious message.
• The enforcement was selective: The facts make it clear that Christian evangelism was singled out for arrest.
• The officers’ conduct violated clearly established constitutional rights: Qualified immunity doesn’t apply when the law is clear – and it is.
• Probable cause doesn’t give the government a blank check to target one kind of speech. It especially doesn’t excuse viewpoint discrimination, which is exactly what we’ve alleged – and supported with video and eyewitness evidence.

The public square belongs to everyone – including street preachers. Cities don’t get to regulate faith out of visibility. This isn’t about winning a procedural round – it’s about protecting the rights of real people who dared to live out their faith in a place where the government said they weren’t welcome.

More Than a Lawsuit – a Line in the Sand

What’s happening in Chicago is part of a much broader trend. Evangelism in New York was targeted. A missionary in North Carolina faces prosecution. Pro-life advocates in Ohio were arrested. In Carbondale, Illinois, city officials are silencing pro-life speech. The common thread? It’s always the Christian faith message that seems to draw the crackdown. This is not just about three young men in Chicago. It’s about the larger effort to erase public Christianity from our cities.

The ACLJ isn’t standing on the sidelines – we’re in the fight. And while this lawsuit is a critical part of the effort, it’s only the beginning. We are working tirelessly to be a valuable tool to those who are exercising their religious liberty under the First Amendment. As threats to public evangelism grow, so does our resolve to meet them head-on. Our legal team is preparing not just to defend – but to equip.

Stand With Us

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s legal to share your faith on a street corner – or whether you will have defenders if authorities try to stop you – let this case be your answer.

Yes, it’s legal. And yes, the ACLJ will stand with you. We are committed – to our clients in Chicago, for every bold believer in America, and for the integrity of the First Amendment. The fight for free speech and religious liberty in the public square isn’t going away. And neither are we.