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City officials in Houston, Texas, will now allow a local minister to preach the Gospel at a local bus terminal after rescinding their ban on his ministry.
For nearly two years, Howard Camp ministered outside a Houston bus terminal, often preaching, praying, sharing encouragement, and handing out food and water to people passing by.
According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), his ministry was abruptly shut down last September when Houston METRO police approached and ordered him to get a “permit.”
Camp questioned authorities about his need for a permit while exercising his First Amendment rights in a public space. Officers informed Camp that the bus terminal was “private property” and handcuffed and detained him.
Officers not only issued a criminal trespass warning but also told Camp that if he ever came back to preach the Gospel again, he would be arrested.
“Shockingly, no specific law was cited. No actual rule was identified as having been violated. No disruption had occurred. Mr. Camp faced the ongoing threat of arrest and criminal prosecution merely for peacefully sharing his Christian faith in what is unquestionably a public space,” wrote Liam R. Harrell, Associate Counsel with the ACLJ.
“This is precisely the kind of government overreach and viewpoint discrimination that the First Amendment was designed to prevent – and exactly when the ACLJ steps in to fight back,” he continued.
The ACLJ sent a demand letter on behalf of Camp, citing that METRO violated his constitutional rights and requested “immediate corrective action,” which included the removal of the trespass notice and clarification of METRO’s speech-related policies.
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“Mr. Camp’s activities—preaching, distributing religious literature, and sharing his religious beliefs—constitute core protected speech under the First Amendment. The act of distributing literature and engaging in one-on-one conversations with willing listeners is a time-honored form of protected expression,” reads the letter.
It continues, “Mr. Camp’s activities fall squarely within this tradition. He was not engaging in obstructing pedestrian or vehicular traffic or creating any genuine disruption. He was simply sharing his beliefs with the public in a peaceful, non-coercive manner. Such conduct is precisely what the First Amendment was designed to protect.”
METRO was given until December 10, 2025, to respond to the demand letter.
In late December, the ACLJ reported that METRO rescinded the trespass warning issued against Camp and also provided formal written clarification of its policy regarding the use of amplification at outdoor METRO facilities.
METRO’s letter specifically acknowledged that Mr. Camp is now “free to return to any METRO terminal and exercise his First Amendment rights,” and noted that its Code of Conduct does not prohibit speech, preaching, or religious expression at outdoor terminals.
According to the ACLJ, their written statement is a binding policy that ensures they can no longer enforce “phantom rules, unwritten restrictions, or selectively applied standards to silence speech that officials personally oppose.”
“This means government officials were compelled to acknowledge in writing the constitutional limits on their authority – and they did. That matters tremendously for Mr. Camp and for every other citizen who seeks to exercise their First Amendment rights in Houston’s public spaces,” Harrell wrote in a public update.
The ACLJ attorney noted the legal group will continue its “unwavering defense of religious liberty and free speech in public spaces across this nation.”
“This fight is far from over, but today we celebrate an important victory for freedom,” he expressed.
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