{"id":211,"date":"2026-06-11T04:04:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T04:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phoenixrelocationnews.com\/?p=211"},"modified":"2026-06-11T04:04:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T04:04:18","slug":"judge-bars-phoenix-from-enforcing-parks-ordinance-against-church-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phoenixrelocationnews.com\/?p=211","title":{"rendered":"Judge bars Phoenix from enforcing parks ordinance against church group"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A federal judge ruled that a Phoenix church group fighting a controversial new city ordinance limiting aid to homeless people in parks will be allowed to continue to serve food to homeless people in a city park without a permit \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n

Read more How Maricopa County\u2019s top prosecutor got her loudest critic disbarred<\/a><\/p>\n

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Krissa M. Lanham granted an emergency temporary restraining order prohibiting the city of Phoenix from enforcing its ordinance, which bars food distribution for charitable purposes in city parks without a permit, against Orthodox Christian ministry St Herman\u2019s Table and its founder and minister, Lance Brace. The judge found that Brace and his church, both plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed earlier this month, had valid claims that the new ordinance violated their First Amendment rights to the free practice of religion.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on the present record and arguments, plaintiffs have established they are likely to succeed on their First Amendment Free Exercise claim,\u201d Lanham wrote in her decision.<\/p>\n

The order went into effect on June 10 and will expire on June 24, though Lanham will now consider whether to impose a preliminary injunction. The restraining order applies only to St. Herman\u2019s Table and Brace, not other groups that feed and provide medical treatment to Phoenix\u2019s homeless population.<\/p>\n

The ruling marks the second time in the last few weeks that a federal judge has found the city likely violated the First Amendment. In late May, a different federal judge wrote that the city likely infringed on the free speech rights of ex-Phoenix police sergeant Dusten Mullen, whom the city fired for his conduct at a protest while off-duty.<\/p>\n

The parks ordinance, which passed the city council on May 6 and went into effect on June 7, makes distributing food or providing medical care without a permit in a city park a misdemeanor, and it bans needle exchanges and medical care with needles altogether. It also established a process through which people and organizations looking to provide medical care or serve food in city parks can apply for a limited number of permits. The ordinance allows for two permits per month.<\/p>\n

Spokesperson for the city of Phoenix did not respond immediately to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Brace and St. Herman\u2019s Table are being represented by the Christian Legal Society, which celebrated the ruling in a press release and said it will continue to fight for its clients. The organization\u2019s CEO and president, David Nammo, called the ordinance \u201cridiculous\u201d and accused the city of hurting people in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are also discriminating against religious ministries in clear violation of the First Amendment, making religiously motivated volunteers criminals for serving those in need,\u201d Nammo said in the release. \u201cTo top it all off, they have created multiple carve-outs for other members of the community to host birthday parties and other celebrations. The City of Phoenix should be ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Get your weed from Trulieve? You can now buy its shares on the NYSE<\/a><\/p>\n

In their filings, Brace and St. Herman\u2019s argued that the ordinance violated their First Amendment rights. Every Thursday evening, Brace and church volunteers serve food to homeless people in Cave Creek Park off Cactus Road. Their complaint argued that the restrictions imposed to even apply for one of the few available permits, such as requiring $2 million in liability insurance and far advance notice of who will volunteer, prevented the church group from fulfilling its religious obligations of \u201calmsgiving and evangelism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lanham agreed with their arguments. \u201cAt best, the ordinance would cut St. Herman\u2019s activities in half even if it receives both of Cave Creek Park\u2019s monthly permits,\u201d she wrote. She went on to write that the ordinance, which expressly applies to food distributions for \u201ccharitable or similar humanitarian purposes,\u201d likely violates the plaintiff\u2019s First Amendment rights because it is not \u201cneutral\u201d or \u201cgenerally applicable.\u201d Non-charitable events, such as private birthday parties or weddings, are exempt from the ordinance\u2019s restrictions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough subtle, charitable purposes certainly correlate with religious ones,\u201d Lanham wrote. \u201cTo illustrate, the text of the ordinance would seem to allow a restaurant to conduct a food distribution event just like St. Herman\u2019s for the general public if the \u2018purpose\u2019 of that event was drumming up future business instead of charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lanham also noted that other secular events generate just as much trash and big crowds as a group serving the homeless does, yet they are not required to obtain permits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPhoenix provides no evidence or meaningful argument explaining why a birthday party providing cake to twenty select two-year-olds is any less likely to strain park resources with noise or mess than a religiously-motivated gathering open to twenty members of the public,\u201d she wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Lanham added that Phoenix could look into other less-restrictive options, such as \u201crequiring permits based on an event\u2019s size, trash levels, or noise levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

The case is far from over. Lanham ordered the parties to \u201cconfer and file a joint statement outlining their positions on consolidating preliminary injunction briefing with the merits of the case\u201d by June 15.<\/p>\n

Read more Nazi-salutin\u2019 Deer Valley school board member storms out of meeting<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Phoenix restricted giving food to homeless people in city parks. 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