SHOCK ARREST: Houston METRO Arrests Our Client AGAIN Despite Explicit Promises

Just weeks after we announced a decisive victory – when Houston METRO finally backed down, rescinded their unlawful criminal trespass notice against our client, and confirmed in writing that he is “free to return to any METRO terminal and exercise his First Amendment rights” – our client has been arrested again.

The latest outrageous incident occurred to our client, Texas preacher Howard Camp, on January 9, at the very same outdoor bus terminal where he has peacefully shared the Gospel for nearly two years. The very same location where police had originally detained him, handcuffed him, and falsely claimed the public terminal was private property.

Despite METRO’s clear policy clarifications acknowledging that their Code of Conduct does not prohibit speech, preaching, or religious expression in these public spaces, officers once more treated Mr. Camp like a criminal for engaging in constitutionally protected activity: proclaiming the Good News, distributing religious literature, praying with willing individuals, and performing simple acts of kindness like offering food and water.

Take action with the ACLJ and add your name to the petition: Defeat the Left’s War Against Christians.

This is not mere oversight – it’s a blatant disregard for the law, for METRO’s own commitments, and for the sacred protections enshrined in our Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court has long affirmed that government-owned facilities may function as public forums when they are open and accessible to the general public, as is the case here.

Americans do not shed the First Amendment at a bus stop. Government officials cannot suppress disfavored viewpoints – even the timeless message of the Gospel – simply because they disagree with it or find it inconvenient. The Constitution neither mandates nor permits such suppression of religious expression.

We at the ACLJ are deeply troubled by this repeated violation of our client’s God-given and Constitution-protected rights. This latest arrest raises serious questions about officer training, internal accountability, and whether METRO leadership is truly committed to ending this unconstitutional harassment.

In response, we have immediately sent another legal demand letter to Houston METRO’s top officials, requiring:

• Written reaffirmation of Mr. Camp’s unequivocal right to be present and to freely exercise his First Amendment-protected religious speech at METRO facilities, in full accordance with their prior resolution and policy clarifications.
• A complete and detailed explanation of the January 9 arrest – including the identities of the officers involved, the precise reasons cited (despite the rescinded notice), why prior assurances were ignored, and concrete steps METRO will take to prevent any future recurrence.

We call on Houston METRO to immediately cease this attack on Christian speech and to honor their commitments without further delay. We cannot tolerate government officials treating peaceful preachers as threats while allowing other forms of expression in the same public spaces, and we’ll pursue every available legal avenue – including, if necessary, immediate litigation in federal court.

Take action with the ACLJ and add your name to the petition: Defeat the Left’s War Against Christians.