ICE is Allegedly Forcing Muslim Detainees to Eat Pork, Violating Their Faith

At the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami, where Muslim detainees are currently being held, a coalition of immigrants rights organizations claim those detainees are being forced to eat pork, a violation of their religious beliefs.

Civil rights organizations and law firms sent out a letter earlier today [Wednesday] threatening legal action against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following complaints that Muslim detainees are being denied edible, halal meals at a Florida detention center.

“During the pandemic, ICE officers at Krome [Service Processing Center] have repeatedly served pork or pork-based products to Muslim detainees, contrary to the detainees’ sincerely held religious belief that they are forbidden from consuming pork,” said the letter. “Muslim detainees have been forced to accept these meals, because the religiously compliant or halal meals that ICE has served have been persistently rotten and expired.”

According to the authors of the letter — Muslim Advocates, King & Spalding LLP, and Americans for Immigrant Justice — expired halal meals at the detention center have caused Muslim detainees to experience symptoms including “stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.”

For an administration that purports to care about religious freedom and honoring faith, you would think this would be inconceivable. But this is an administration that only cares about religion when it applies to conservative Christians. Even the facility’s chaplain met these concerns with nothing more than a callous, “It is what it is.” (Where have we heard that expression recently?)

Forcing Muslims to eat pork is akin to forcing evangelicals to have abortions against their will. The outrage should be off the charts. And yet the people who can use their massive influence to rectify this situation have been notably silent. Don’t take them seriously when they complain about a loss of religious freedom under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They only want it for themselves. No one else.

By the way, I did a quick search of the social media of some of Trump’s biggest evangelical supporters — Robert Jeffress, Franklin Graham, and others — to see what they had to say about this faith-based travesty. Considering how this is a clear example of religious oppression, as opposed to something frivolous like keeping your church closed during a pandemic, you’d think they would be speaking in defense of the Muslims.

Radio silence so far.

(via Forward)