A coalition of religious groups successfully halted new rules under the Trump administration that allowed federal officials to enter houses of worship in order to enforce immigration laws.
In response to a lawsuit from a group of Quaker, Baptist and Sikh congregations, an Obama-appointed federal judge in Maryland ordered Monday that the Trump administration must revert to Biden-era rules governing immigration enforcement at the locations where the plaintiffs worship. However, the judge’s order does not apply to all places of worship nationwide, and it does not pertain to situations involving a warrant.
Hours after President Donald Trump took office last month, his administration rescinded a directive issued under former President Joe Biden that prohibited immigration enforcement action in, or near, certain “sensitive” areas, such as churches and schools.
Chuang added that, given the plaintiffs’ openness about serving immigrant communities, it would be reasonable to expect that DHS will direct their enforcement actions at the plaintiffs’ congregations.
Leave a Reply