Between July 4 and Nov. 3, faith leaders seek fair access to the voting booth

(RNS) — Four months before the midterm elections, Minnesota faith leaders who previously have protested against federal immigration agents have unveiled a multistate initiative to ensure fair elections.

“Our churches, our mosques, our synagogues, our places of worship will become democracy hubs,” said Minister JaNaé Bates Imari, co-executive director of the interfaith group ISAIAH Minnesota, as she opened a Tuesday (July 7) news conference at the Minneapolis State Capitol in Saint Paul backed by dozens of other clergy. “We are doing all that we can to ensure that every single elected official on every level of government understands that they are also to be held accountable.”

In December, faith leaders in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area organized to counter a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation that targeted undocumented Somali immigrants. In June, they decided to spearhead a new cause, in part due to concerns about possible Trump administration interference in the elections. In a brief interview in May, when asked if he would send ICE agents or National Guard members to the polls in November, President Trump said , “I’d do anything necessary to make sure we…