DHS says county contact limits do not mean religious services are denied
U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityFederal department, through spokesman Chandler Rebel
A DHS spokesman calls the archdiocese's allegations false, says the jail is a county facility rather than an ICE facility, and says detainees can practice their religion.
Responding to
The Ste. Genevieve County jail's visitation policy prevents Catholic priests from giving Communion, hearing confessions or celebrating Mass for ICE detainees held there.
“Let's be clear: County restrictions on physical contact do not mean religious services are denied”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
St. Louis archdiocese sues over clergy limits at Missouri jail holding ICE detainees; DHS calls the claims false
The Archdiocese of St. Louis sued Ste. Genevieve County jail officials and federal immigration officials on October 5, 2026, saying the jail's no-contact visiting rules keep priests from giving Communion, hearing confessions or saying Mass for ICE detainees. The Department of Homeland Security calls the allegations false and says county limits on physical contact do not mean religious services are denied.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
St. Louis Post-Dispatch report on the Department of Homeland Security's response to the archdiocese's lawsuit, quoting DHS spokesman Chandler Rebel.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Spectrum News report on the lawsuit and on a statement the Department of Homeland Security gave to the outlet.
Before the quotation
Spokesman Chandler Rebel said the allegations were false and that the facility is "a non-contact county jail, not an ICE facility."
After the quotation
Rebel said all detainees may practice their religions and receive religious items on request.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Ste. Genevieve County jail's no-contact clergy visiting policy for ICE detainees and federal officials' responsibility for it. DHS calls the allegations "FALSE" and says county restrictions on contact "do not mean religious services are denied", so we labeled it Denied. The closest competing label is Defended; it loses because DHS disputes that detainees are denied religious services rather than justifying a denial.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Archdiocese of St. Louis, Mitchell T. Rozanski
More from this case
Read the full caseRozanski says he is "very concerned" about limits on priests at the jail
“That is why I'm very concerned about the restrictions that are placed on our priests in being able to minister to the detainees who are at Ste. Genevieve.”Read statement
Archdiocese says denying the sacraments harms Catholic detainees and priests
Archdiocese of St. Louis
“Offering and receiving these sacraments is a central tenet of our faith. Catholics receive the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the deprivation of these sacraments imposes real and immediate harm on Catholic detainees and priests”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- DHS says county contact limits do not mean religious services are denied
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/5977-a-dhs-spokesman-calls-the-archdiocese-s-allegations
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "DHS says county contact limits do not mean religious services are denied". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5977-a-dhs-spokesman-calls-the-archdiocese-s-allegations