DOJ backs faith-based agency, claims it has right under religious-freedom law to feed the homeless
City of Santa Ana denied occupancy permit for all-volunteer organization
![Person sleeping on sidewalk next to building. Person sleeping on sidewalk next to building.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2406ad4-b1c7-4968-978a-f80a26a95598_1700x946.jpeg)
The U.S. Department of Justice has gone to bat on religious-freedom grounds for a small nonprofit ministry that is being threatened with civil and criminal penalties if it provides snacks and drinks to the homeless and needy at a resource center in Santa Ana, Calif.
The DOJ filed a statement of…