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- The lawsuit challenges a Trump administration directive that rescinded Biden-era protections for sensitive locations like churches, schools, and hospitals from immigration raids.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