Immigration & refugees

Judge Blocks ICE Raids at Select Religious Sites

FEB 25 2025·Updated FEB 26 2025

Story

Above: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a worksite enforcement operation in January 2025. Image credit: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Handout/ Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

A US district judge on Monday issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting enforcement operations at specific houses of worship belonging to the Quakers, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and a Sikh temple in Sacramento.
Newsweek
USA Today
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit challenging US Pres. Donald Trump's Jan. 20 executive order rescinding Biden-era guidelines protecting "sensitive locations" — such as churches, schools, and hospitals — from immigration enforcement actions.
The Hill
Newsweek
The injunction applies specifically to approximately 1.7K places of worship affiliated with the plaintiffs across 35 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. There's no nationwide ban on such enforcement actions.
nytimes
New York Post
The judge found that the administration's policy has led to decreased attendance and participation in religious activities, particularly among immigrant communities, constituting a "concrete injury" to the religious institutions.
Newsweek
Catholic News Agency
New York Post
The ruling does not prevent ICE from making arrests at these locations if they have an administrative or judicial warrant.
USA Today
Catholic News Agency

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The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

Law enforcement must be empowered to apprehend criminals who might use religious institutions as safe havens. The only modification to the previous policy was removing the requirement for supervisory approval, meaning enforcement activities near places of worship have been permitted for decades.

Daily Caller

Anti-Trump narrative

It has long been government policy that everyone, regardless of immigration status, should be able to attend houses of worship without fear of warrantless raids. Trump's policy change has created a chilling effect and violates fundamental constitutional rights to religious freedom.

Independent