A federal judge in Maryland has issued a preliminary injunction blocking immigration agents from conducting enforcement operations in houses of worship for Quakers and several other religious groups. The judge, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chang, ruled that the Trump administration's policy could potentially violate the religious freedom of these groups and should be halted while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds.
The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of Quaker meetings from multiple states, along with a network of Baptist churches in Georgia and a Sikh temple in California. They took legal action after the Trump administration eliminated Department of Homeland Security policies that restricted where migrant arrests could take place, allowing field agents to conduct immigration enforcement operations at houses of worship without supervisor approval.
Plaintiffs argue that this new directive deviates from the government's longstanding policy against staging immigration enforcement operations in 'protected areas' or 'sensitive locations.' They expressed concerns that immigrants are now fearful of attending religious services due to the enforcement of this new rule.
Government lawyers, however, contend that the plaintiffs are speculating and have not provided evidence of their religious organizations being targeted. They maintain that immigration enforcement activities, including in houses of worship, have been permitted for years, with the only change being the removal of the requirement for supervisor approval.
Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit involving more than two dozen Christian and Jewish groups has been filed in Washington, D.C., echoing similar concerns about the impact of the new policy. The plaintiffs in the Maryland case are represented by the Democracy Forward Foundation, which is seeking to block DHS enforcement of the policy nationwide.
As the legal battle continues, the issue of immigration enforcement in houses of worship remains a contentious one, with implications for religious freedom and the rights of immigrant communities across the country.
