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.

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The lawsuit challenges a Trump administration directive that rescinded Biden-era protections for sensitive locations like churches, schools, and hospitals from immigration raids.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.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

San Francisco Chronicle