Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s ‘Unlawful and Harmful’ Immigration Raids at Houses of Worship

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

A federal judge issued an order Monday preventing President Donald Trump’s administration from carrying out immigration enforcement actions at places of worship.

In a 59-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chang agreed with a coalition of Sikhs, Quakers, and Baptists that immigration raids at their respective houses of worship would violate their religious liberties.

The legal group Democracy Forward filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of the above plaintiffs over a recently rescinded agency order that allowed federal agents to “indiscriminately” target migrants in violation of “religious freedom and expression rights.”

Chang ruled:

Armed law enforcement officers operating in or at places of worship pursuant to the 2025 policy will adversely affect the ability of Quakers and Sikhs to follow their religious beliefs or worship freely.

And given that each of Plaintiffs has religious beliefs that cause them to welcome and serve immigrants, has significant immigrant membership or operates in communities with significant immigrant populations, and has not disavowed that they will continue to serve immigrants both with and without legal status, it is reasonable to expect that DHS will direct immigration enforcement toward Plaintiffs specifically.

The judge added that although the plaintiffs each had different religious views, all were in agreement that being welcoming of immigrants was a “central precept of their faith practices.”

Skye Perryman, the head of Democracy Forward, called the Trump administration’s policy toward targeting houses of worship “unlawful and harmful.”

“For decades, the government has recognized that everyone — no matter their immigration status — should be able to attend houses of worship without fear of a warrantless government raid. Religious institutions should not have to go to court to fight for the right to worship and associate freely that is enshrined in our Constitution,” Perryman said in a statement. “Our plaintiffs represent a unique and diverse coalition of religious groups that have been at the forefront in protecting values of religious liberty for centuries. We are grateful to the court for acting to limit this unlawful and harmful policy.”

DHS rescinded a Biden administration order limiting immigration officials from raising houses of worship on Jan. 21 – a day after Trump’s inauguration.

“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” a department official said at the time. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”