For decades, U.S. policy has safeguarded sensitive locations like churches and religious gatherings from immigration enforcement. However, the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reversed this long-standing protection. The new policy allows enforcement actions at religious sites, with the only guidance being to use “common sense.” As a result, fear is spreading among congregations, leading to disruptions in worship.

Represented by Democracy Forward, the plaintiffs include:

  • Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
  • New England Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
  • Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
  • Adelphi Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
  • Richmond Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

The lawsuit challenges DHS’s unlawful and harmful policy, arguing that it restricts the ability of faith communities to worship freely and violates federal law’s prohibition against arbitrary and capricious government actions.

This challenge seeks to block DHS’s policy and protect religious spaces from immigration enforcement activities. Allowing ICE to conduct enforcement actions in houses of worship threatens religious liberty for all, not just immigrant communities. We urge the court to act swiftly to prevent further harm to faith-based organizations and their congregations.

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