Street preachers sue Chicago over ‘unconstitutional’ arrests for sharing the Gospel

Chicago has been sued over the arrests of Christian street preachers in a case alleging unconstitutional enforcement of city regulations against religious speech, according to a U.S. legal advocacy organization.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Center for Law and Justice, arguing that the city violated the constitutional rights of three men who were preaching in public spaces near Millennium Park, the ACLJ said in a statement.

The civil rights complaint seeks relief for Brett Raio and two other preachers identified as Reetik and Perez, who were arrested while sharing Christian messages in a public area of downtown Chicago.

Raio was arrested and charged while preaching near Millennium Park, a major public park in Chicago’s downtown area that draws large numbers of visitors and public gatherings. His case was later dismissed before trial after video evidence was presented showing the circumstances of the incident.

Days after that dismissal, Chicago police arrested Reetik and Perez at the same location on similar charges, according to the lawsuit, which alleges the arrests occurred under the same enforcement practices that had previously led to the case against Raio.

The complaint claims the city has adopted a policy of arresting street preachers who use sound amplification even when authorities have not determined whether the volume violates Chicago’s noise ordinance.

Chicago law requires a permit only if amplified sound exceeds conversational levels measured from about 100 feet away. The complaint argues police officers arrested the preachers without assessing whether their speech actually crossed that legal threshold.

Officers arrived at the location and arrested the preachers immediately without conducting any measurement of the sound level, alleges the petition.

The complaint alleges that the enforcement was directed at street preachers delivering Christian messages and therefore violated protections under the First Amendment.

The lawsuit seeks damages for harm and emotional distress stemming from the arrests and the time spent in custody.

Reetik and Perez were held in jail for more than seven hours following their arrests, according to the filing.

The complaint also alleges the city’s enforcement practices place a substantial burden on religious activity under the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a state law that protects individuals from government actions that significantly interfere with religious exercise.

Legal filings in the case argue that municipal governments can regulate public spaces for reasons such as crowd control and noise management, but those regulations must be applied neutrally and in a manner consistent with constitutional protections.

Public spaces such as streets and parks have long been recognized in U.S. constitutional law as traditional public forums where individuals can express political, religious and social views. Courts generally require governments to apply rules governing those spaces in a viewpoint-neutral manner.

The lawsuit claims the enforcement pattern in Chicago did not meet that standard, arguing that the city selectively enforced noise rules against religious speakers while allowing other forms of ambient city noise.