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Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks ICE Raids at Select Houses of Worship

The ruling follows a lawsuit from religious groups claiming the Trump administration's policy violates constitutional protections for religious freedom.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang issued a preliminary injunction preventing immigration enforcement at houses of worship affiliated with the plaintiffs, including Quaker meetings, Baptist churches, and a Sikh temple in California.
  • The lawsuit challenges a Trump administration directive that rescinded Biden-era protections for sensitive locations like churches, schools, and hospitals from immigration raids.
  • Plaintiffs argued that the policy infringed on their First Amendment rights and deterred attendance at their places of worship, harming their religious practices and ministry activities.
  • The injunction applies only to the plaintiffs’ religious institutions, not nationwide, but the coalition may expand the case to include additional plaintiffs.
  • The Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on whether it will appeal the ruling or comply with the order to reinstate previous protections for the affected sites.