Federal Court Tosses Churches’ Challenge to Trump-Era Immigration Arrest Policy Near Churches
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by multiple churches challenging a Trump-era immigration policy that allows ICE arrests near religious institutions, including churches.
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the plaintiffs failed to establish legal standing, stating that their claims — including declining church attendance due to fear of immigration enforcement — were “too speculative.”
The policy in question reversed an earlier Biden-era directive that limited immigration enforcement actions near sensitive locations such as places of worship, schools, and hospitals.
Churches argued that the change led to a chilling effect on attendance, especially among undocumented parishioners. However, the court found that the decline in attendance could also be linked to broader federal immigration enforcement policies, not the proximity of arrests to churches specifically.
Importantly, the judge’s decision did not assess the legality of the Trump-era policy itself, focusing solely on the churches’ inability to demonstrate direct harm.
In contrast, a federal judge in Maryland recently issued a block on similar immigration enforcement actions near specific religious and community sites, highlighting the legal divide on how far immigration agents can operate near protected locations.
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