Federal Judge Stops Immigration Raids at Designated Religious Sites
A federal judge has put a halt to the Trump administration’s broad immigration enforcement actions at certain houses of worship following a lawsuit filed by Quakers and other religious organizations. Maryland District Court Judge Theodore Chuang issued a temporary injunction that specifically applies to six Quaker meeting houses, a Sikh temple in Sacramento, California, and churches affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, encompassing 1,400 churches and serving around 750,000 Baptists.
This targeted injunction differs from broader nationwide restraints imposed on the Trump administration by other judges. Judge Chuang, appointed by former President Barack Obama, criticized the administration’s decision to revoke more lenient guidelines set during the Biden era for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions near “sensitive” areas like churches. He cited a decline in attendance at congregations with large immigrant populations as evidence of harm.
The religious groups argued that ICE raids and arrests at churches violated their First Amendment rights. Judge Chuang concluded that the administration’s policy change had caused a “concrete injury” to these places of worship. He emphasized the need for law enforcement to respect constitutional and statutory requirements when conducting operations near places of worship.
The judge’s ruling followed a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward, a left-wing nonprofit, on behalf of the religious groups. The injunction only applies to the specified religious organizations involved in the lawsuit. The Trump administration had recently reversed guidance from the Biden administration on ICE raids in designated “sensitive areas.”
Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, expressed the importance of protecting the right to worship and associate freely without fear of government interference, highlighting the constitutional rights enshrined in the Constitution.
“Plaintiffs represent a distinctive and varied coalition of religious organizations that have long been leading the charge in safeguarding the principles of religious freedom over the centuries. We appreciate the court for taking action to curtail this illegal and detrimental policy.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not promptly respond to The Washington Post’s inquiry for a comment.
