Judge Blocks Immigration Enforcement in Places of Worship Amid Lawsuit

Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Immigration Raids in Religious Venues

In a significant legal development, a U.S. Federal Judge has issued an injunction that restricts immigration enforcement in places of worship. This comes after a coalition of religious organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s revised immigration policies.

The lawsuit was initiated by diverse religious groups, including Quaker meetings from Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, a Baptist church network in Georgia, and a Sikh temple in California. They challenged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its head, Kristi Noem, over policy changes allowing immigration raids in “sensitive locations” like houses of worship without supervisory approval.

The revised policy permits field agents to use “common sense” and “discretion” for operations in religious settings, sparking concerns about potential violations of immigrants’ religious freedom. The lawsuit claimed the policy change instilled fear among immigrants, deterring them from attending services.

“It’s a fear that people are experiencing across the county,” said Bradley Girard, the plaintiffs’ attorney, during a hearing with US District Judge Theodore Chang in February.

The federal judge in Maryland granted a preliminary injunction to halt the policy for the plaintiffs involved in the case. However, the plaintiffs’ representation, Democracy Forward Foundation, seeks to extend this block nationwide.

“DHS’s new policy gives it the authority to enter any house of worship across the country, no matter its religious beliefs,” the attorneys asserted.

In response, government lawyers argued that the plaintiffs’ fears were speculative. “Plaintiffs have provided no evidence indicating that any of their religious organizations have been targeted,” stated Kristina Wolfe, a Justice Department attorney.

The government further noted that enforcement actions have historically occurred in sensitive locations, including religious venues, and that the primary change was the removal of the need for supervisory approval.

Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, various executive orders have tightened immigration policies, prompting a series of legal challenges from states and non-governmental organizations.

Following the Maryland case, a broad coalition of Christian and Jewish groups filed a similar federal lawsuit in Washington. This coalition, representing millions of Americans, includes denominations such as the Episcopal Church and the Union for Reform Judaism.

The coalition contended that the policy changes hinder their ministry efforts, as many migrants, fearing enforcement actions, avoid worship services and church programs.

“We have immigrants, refugees, people who are documented and undocumented,” said Most Rev Sean Rowe of the Episcopal Church to The Associated Press. “We cannot worship freely if some of us are living in fear.”

The religious groups involved in the lawsuit include some of America’s oldest denominations, encompassing thousands of congregations and millions of followers.

Lead counsel Kelsi Corkran from Georgetown University Law Center emphasized the importance of the lawsuit: “Their scripture, teaching, and traditions offer irrefutable unanimity on their religious obligation to embrace and serve the refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in their midst without regard to documentation or legal status.”