A federal judge in Maryland has issued a ruling that prohibits the Trump administration from carrying out immigration enforcement activities, such as raids and arrests, at a select number of churches, temples, and other places of worship that had filed a lawsuit against the new policy.
Protecting Places of Worship
This ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, is distinct from broader nationwide injunctions against Trump administration policies. It specifically safeguards the facilities used by several Quaker, Baptist, and Sikh groups that initiated legal action last month.
The Trump administration had lifted constraints that the Biden administration had placed on enforcement actions at 'sensitive' locations like churches, schools, and hospitals. Judge Chuang, appointed by President Barack Obama, asserted in a detailed 59-page decision that removing these limits posed a threat to the religious freedom of the litigating groups.
"The impact of the [Trump administration] policy is not hypothetical and is already being felt," noted Chuang, citing reports of reduced attendance in congregations with significant immigrant populations following the issuance of the Trump directive. He underlined that 'criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,' as stated in the DHS press release introducing the 2025 policy.
Who Filed Suit?
The plaintiffs challenging the policy consist of Quaker congregations in Philadelphia, Richmond, Maryland, and New England, a Sikh temple in Sacramento, and a coalition of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches based in Georgia.
Judge Chuang, operating out of Greenbelt, suggested that the policy likely contravened the groups' First Amendment right to freedom of association and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which curbs government actions that encroach upon religious practices.
He clarified that his assessment was tailored to the houses of worship involved in the lawsuit as they openly welcome immigrants, irrespective of their legal status, making them potential targets for enforcement by the Trump administration.
Protecting Constitutional Rights
"This injunction does not dispute the necessity for law enforcement to conduct operations in or around places of worship when required," Chuang emphasized. "It simply asserts that, at this early stage of the case, concerning the sensitive issue of law enforcement intrusions into places of worship without warrants, the lack of meaningful restrictions or safeguards in the 2025 policy fails to meet constitutional and statutory prerequisites."
This ruling underscores the significance of protecting the sanctity of places of worship and upholding the rights of religious communities, especially in the context of immigration enforcement policies.
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