Advancing Liberty Through Action
Feb 4, 2022
A new rule in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) allows it to track employees, contractors, subcontractors and certain private employees based on religious accommodations. The database can include personal information, audio conversations and photos—and that information can be shared with any branch of our government and even foreign nations.
We have no time to waste to stop these lists.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman has created “a new DHS system of records,” which includes categories of complaints to report “abuse” right alongside complaints regarding “religious accommodation.”
This database will “collect and maintain records” on “any officer or employee” of the Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies and on “any contracted, subcontracted, or cooperating entity personnel.”
Individuals working for a private company that is “cooperating” with these federal agencies can have a complaint lodged against them regarding religious accommodation.
This provision includes a complaint made by a person regarding their own religious accommodation and/or a complaint lodged against a person who requested religious accommodation.
The complaints can include supporting documentation, which can include all of the following: “comments, records, photographs … written and audio/video recordings of interviews with detainees … letters, memoranda, and other documents alleging violation[s].”
Finally, this rule gives DHS the ability to “maintain records” long term and share them across all “appropriate” branches of our “federal, state, [and] local” government, including "tribal, territorial, foreign, or international government agencies” so those entities can start “investigating or prosecuting a violation.”
If DHS takes full advantage of the broad language in this rule, it gives them unbelievable power.
Congress Can Stop These Lists of Religious Accommodations!
A new bill in Congress, the Religious Freedom Over Mandates Act (HR 6502), will defund these databases. The number of co-sponsors is increasing, but we need the support of significantly more legislators.
The Department of Labor’s Office of Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management launched a new rule regarding “declared public health emergencies.” But I do not want you to be fooled.
Already, radicals have declared, “Climate change is a public health emergency,” and a Harvard International Review article asserts that “over 250,000 deaths could result from climate change by 2050.”
These “emergency” rules are not going away!
In this rule, the DOL created its own “System of Records” tracking the vaccine status of all "contractor employees who work in, as well as visitors to, Department of Labor (DOL) facilities during declared public health emergencies.”
This database records information on contractors and visitors who “may be asked to provide proof of their status” and if they are experiencing any medical symptoms and what “medical countermeasure” they are adhering to, such as masking and physical distancing.
We cannot allow these databases to grow and expand in these unaccountable government agencies. Our government needs to be reminded that “We the people” are free and not a record in their database to be monitored and tracked. Send a clear message reverberating down the halls of Congress and into these departments with your urgent faxes today to end this now!
The Surface Transportation Board (which controls railroad regulations) also has a new rule that will “collect, maintain and track records on employees and applicants for employment … who requested or received religious accommodations.” It will track the same data for “employees and applicants for employment with disabilities.”
This government agency is creating a database of everyone with physical challenges and active religious beliefs ... which are two of the three categories targeted by Adolph Hitler. The evil that governments are capable of if they have this data is incalculable!
These databases are a serious threat to freedom. We need to reverse and erase these permanent federal databases tracking and recording the conversations of religious employees!
LC Action will vigorously fight these lists. You can support our efforts today and through our Challenge Grant that will DOUBLE the impact of your monthly recurring gift or one-time donation.
Help spread this information by forwarding this message to likeminded friends. Together we can turn this around!
Mat Staver, Chairman
Liberty Counsel Action
P.S. You can also sign our petition to these leaders to be delivered at critical moments in this fight against a "religious" database.
Sources:
“Climate, a Public Health Crisis: Making Connections & Building Solutions Together | UW–Madison ICEP.” n.d. Ce.icep.wisc.edu. Accessed February 3, 2022. Ce.icep.wisc.edu/climate-a-public-health-crisis.
“Federal Departments and Agencies Launch 57 Rule Changes for a Database Tracking Religious Staff or Those Who Request Exemptions.” Liberty Counsel Action. February 3, 2022. LCAction.org/detail/220203press-release-government-lists-of-exemption-requests-raises-concern.
“Hot Topic: Climate Change as a Public Health Crisis.” 2020. Harvard International Review. January 14, 2020. Hir.harvard.edu/hot-topic-climate-change-as-a-public-health-crisis/.
“Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records.” Federal Register: Department of Labor, Office of Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management. October 5, 2021. Federalregister.gov/documents/2021/10/05/2021-21679/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records.
“Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records.” Federal Register: Surface Transportation Board. December 27, 2021. Federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/27/2021-28022/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records.
“Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records.” Federal Register: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman. September 3, 2021. Federalregister.gov/documents/2021/09/03/2021-18798/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records.