A federal judge has issued a temporary order partially pausing the Trump administration's new policy that allows wider latitude for immigration enforcement at some churches and other houses of worship. This ruling marks the first legal consideration of the policy's legality.
The US District Judge Theodore Chuang's order is seen as a narrow victory for the religious organizations challenging the policy in court. The judge blocked the administration from implementing the policy at the places of worship of the religious organizations involved in the lawsuit, which include congregations of Quakers, Baptists, and Sikhs. However, he did not halt the policy nationwide.
Multiple cases are challenging the Trump policy, with Chuang being the first to weigh in on its legality. He determined that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their arguments that the policy violated the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Under Chuang's ruling, the administration must revert to the pre-Trump policy regarding immigration enforcement at churches for the religious organizations covered in the lawsuit. This previous policy allowed for such enforcement but under more limited circumstances.
In his 56-page opinion, Chuang emphasized that he was not questioning law enforcement's ability to conduct operations in or near places of worship when necessary. However, he expressed concerns about the lack of meaningful limitations or safeguards in the 2025 Policy regarding warrantless operations at places of worship.
Chuang's decision sheds light on the sensitive issue of law enforcement intrusions into places of worship and highlights the importance of constitutional and statutory requirements in such matters.
