The freedom to believe, or not to believe, is often described as the first freedom. It is also, in many places, the first to go.
Those involved describe a slow build of pressure over several years, with small changes in rules and enforcement adding up to something larger. Few of the people we spoke with wanted to be identified by their full names, citing concern for relatives.
Researchers who track the issue say the trend is consistent with what they have documented elsewhere. A summary of their findings is available in our earlier reporting.
We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking to be left alone to pray, to gather and to raise our children in our faith.
— A community organizer
What happens next
Advocates say the coming months will test whether recent attention translates into lasting change. Several organizations plan to publish follow-up reports, and lawmakers have signaled interest in further hearings.
For the families at the center of this story, the questions are more immediate: where to live, how to earn a living, and when they might see the people they left behind.