(AP) — An Amish couple with 13 children is suing the federal government, accusing officials of violating their constitutional rights by insisting that they provide photographs of themselves before the Canadian wife’s request to become a permanent U.S. resident can be approved.
The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Indianapolis says the southern Indiana couple won’t allow themselves to be photographed, in keeping with their Old Order Amish beliefs that photos of people are “graven images” prohibited by the Second Commandment.
The couple’s suit states that it was filed as a “last resort” after officials repeatedly refused to accommodate “their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
The suit names the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security and Citizenship and Immigration Services. Both agencies said Wednesday that they don’t comment on pending litigation.