A federal judge blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday from arresting illegal immigrants seeking refuge in places of worship for some religious groups, including Quakers.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from enforcing its policy that authorizes ICE raids for churches and other religious spaces providing aid to illegal immigrants amid ongoing litigation. The plaintiffs argue the Trump administration’s policy violates their religious freedoms protected under the First Amendment.
The court order only exempts the plaintiffs from the policy — six Quaker congregations across several states, a Georgia-based Baptist denomination, and a Sikh temple in Sacramento, Calif. The Department of Homeland Security and its secretary, Kristi Noem, are being sued.
The lawsuit was filed last month shortly after DHS announced the new policy, which sought to override a Biden-era directive that deemed sensitive locations like churches and schools as safe havens for illegal immigrants. The Trump administration trusts federal agents to use “common sense” when enforcing immigration policy, a DHS spokesperson said.
The federal government has refrained from enforcing immigration laws in protected areas for the past 30 years, according to the lawsuit.
Many illegal immigrants who rely on resources and assistance from religious organizations are more inclined to stay at home out of fear of being arrested and deported, the plaintiffs argue.
“It’s a fear that people are experiencing across the country,” Democracy Forward senior counsel Bradley Girard told Judge Chuang at a hearing earlier this month. “People are not showing up, and the plaintiffs are suffering as a result.”
The federal government counters that the lawsuit’s allegations are based on mere speculation, not direct evidence.
“Plaintiffs have provided no evidence indicating that any of their religious organizations have been targeted,” Justice Department senior trial counsel Kristina Wolfe said.
The judge’s final decision on the matter remains to be seen, as the lawsuit continues playing out in court. This case is one of many legal challenges that the White House is facing over its executive actions to crack down on illegal immigration.
The Trump administration recently terminated temporary legal status for over 600,000 Venezuelans and more than 500,000 Haitians who entered the U.S. legally. Pro-immigration groups are suing over the action related to Venezuelans, and the move pertaining to Haitians is expected to soon face litigation.
Meanwhile, immigration authorities continue carrying out mass deportations that may not be moving as quickly as President Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan want. On Friday, former acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello was reassigned over the slow pace of mass deportations.