“We’re at a pivotal moment,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. "The separation of church and state is the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans. This principle could not be more vital, given that Americans belong to hundreds of different faiths, and many are non-religious. Yet all signs indicate that President Donald Trump will appoint a justice who will undermine this foundational and vital American value.”

“The Supreme Court today has forsaken one of our most foundational and cherished values – that our government must never single out any one religion for discrimination," said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. "Our hearts break for the millions of Americans who, because of the Muslim ban, will continue to be separated from their loved ones and face peak rates of hate crimes and maltreatment."

“Universities should not be allowed to use religion to deny women access to birth control,” said AU President and CEO Rachel Laser. “The Trump-Pence administration and the University of Notre Dame conspired in secret dealings to take away insurance coverage for women’s reproductive healthcare. This lawsuit aims to get it back.”

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today sharply criticized U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for citing the Bible to defend the Trump administration’s policy of separating families at the border with Mexico.

“Sessions’ statement is profoundly disturbing,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “The separation of church and state means that we don’t base public policy on the Bible or any religious book. Our nation’s top law enforcement official, however, is using his interpretation of the Bible to defend the Trump administration’s policy of separating children and their immigrant parents.”

“While today’s decision isn’t what we had hoped for, the good news is that it’s very limited in its scope,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “It does not change the long-standing rule that businesses open to the public must be open to all."