Appeals Court Preserves Injunction Against ICE Enforcing Immigration Laws at Churches

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling preventing federal immigration officials from conducting enforcement actions at or near houses of worship.

In a 2-1 ruling by the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, Judge Barbara Keenan, a Barack Obama appointee, wrote that the government likely violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in its immigration enforcement policy. The majority determined the actions could drive down church attendance and put undue pressure on congregations.

The Trump administration argued this policy was the least restrictive way for Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to further a compelling government interest.

A coalition of religious groups, including Quakers, Sikhs, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, brought the lawsuit and were represented by Democracy Forward, an organization chaired by Democrat lawyer Marc Elias.

“This decision reaffirms a fundamental promise of religious liberty: every person should be able to gather, worship, pray, and serve their community without fear that immigration enforcement will unlawfully disrupt sacred spaces,” the coalition of plaintiffs said in a joint public statement.

“For generations, our houses of worship have welcomed all who seek spiritual guidance and community service,” the statement continued. “The Trump-Vance administration’s policy threatened that longstanding tradition by forcing congregations to choose between fulfilling their religious mission and protecting members of their communities. We are grateful that the court has preserved these protections while this case moves forward, and we will continue fighting to ensure that religious freedom remains meaningful for every congregation and every person who walks through our doors.”

The court’s ruling upheld the injunction on enforcement issued by the U.S. District Court in Maryland.

The plaintiffs in the case were the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, New England Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Adelphi Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Richmond Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Sikh Temple Sacramento, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Elias has worked on multiple campaigns and is best known for serving as general counsel to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.