US Judge blocks immigration raids in certain places of worship

A group of mostly Quaker religious organizations has succeeded in temporarily preventing federal immigration agents from operating around their places of worship across the country.

In an opinion issued on Monday, a federal judge in Maryland agreed with the religious organizations that the Trump administration's departure from a Biden-era policy was keeping people from attending their services and outreach programs out of fear that they could be arrested on civil immigration violations. For decades, presidential administrations from both parties have had policies that largely avoid immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, such as places of worship, schools and hospitals.

Judge Theodore D. Chuang, of the US District Court for the District of Maryland, denied the groups' request for a temporary nationwide halt to the Trump administration's policy.

As a result, about 1,700 places of worship in 35 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will be temporarily spared immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration's policy allowing operations around sensitive areas that were off limits during the Biden administration. The groups are being represented by Democracy Forward, a legal organization focused on fighting for democracy.

At issue is a shift in immigration enforcement policy under the Trump administration that allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct operations in sensitive locations. This is a significant expansion of enforcement authorities from what was permitted during the Biden administration. There has not been an overwhelming number of arrests of immigrants at religious services since the start of the Trump administration. Still, the groups have argued that just the potential for such arrests has led people to avoid services they previously attended.

The lawsuit was brought against the Homeland Security Department by a group of mostly Quaker organizations. However, a Baptist church in Atlanta and a Sikh temple in Sacramento, California, also joined, and officials in those organizations said they had already seen a decline in attendance because of the new policy.

"Plaintiffs have provided evidence that the willingness of their congregants to attend worship and participate in ministry services is presently being chilled," Chuang wrote in his order. "In contrast, DHS has provided no facts demonstrating how its interests, in increased immigration enforcement or otherwise, would be materially and adversely impacted" by a pause in enforcing the policy.

A similar case, brought by a coalition of denominational entities, was filed in federal court in the District of Columbia.