New York City firefighters and U.S. Navy personnel are actively resisting vaccine mandates, with the FDNY warning of potential firehouse closures due to low compliance. The First Liberty Institute is representing 40 Navy SEALs who claim their religious exemption requests are being summarily denied or used as grounds for harassment. Legal experts argue that while the Department of Defense has the authority to issue mandates, it must still comply with the First Amendment and federal law regarding exemptions.
