A federal judge in Maryland has issued a preliminary injunction blocking immigration agents from conducting enforcement operations in houses of worship for certain religious groups, including Quakers, Baptists, and Sikhs. The judge found that the Trump administration’s policy change allowing immigration enforcement in places of worship could violate religious freedom and should be halted pending a lawsuit challenging it.
The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of Quaker meetings and other religious organizations following the Trump administration’s decision to permit field agents to conduct immigration enforcement operations at houses of worship without supervisor approval. Plaintiffs argue that this new policy deviates from the government’s longstanding practice of avoiding immigration enforcement in “protected areas” or “sensitive locations.”
Immigrants are reportedly fearful of attending religious services due to the enforcement of this new rule, leading to concerns raised by the plaintiffs’ attorneys about the impact on congregations. On the other hand, government lawyers contend that there is no evidence of religious organizations being specifically targeted and argue against interference with law enforcement activities based on speculation.
This case in Maryland is part of a broader legal landscape, with more than two dozen Christian and Jewish groups also filing a similar lawsuit in Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs in the Maryland case, represented by the Democracy Forward Foundation, are seeking a nationwide block on DHS enforcement of the policy, emphasizing the potential implications for religious freedom across the country.
While government lawyers maintain that immigration enforcement activities in places of worship have been permitted for years and that the recent policy change only removes the requirement for supervisor approval, the legal battle underscores the complex intersection of immigration enforcement and religious rights.
