Overview
- U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor issued a Feb. 13 preliminary injunction blocking warrantless immigration enforcement inside plaintiff churches, at entrances, at religious education and social-service sites, on adjacent property, and within 100 feet of entrances, and it bars checkpoints targeting churchgoers.
- The order permits actions only in true emergencies and allows operations conducted under judicial or administrative warrants.
- Relief is limited to plaintiffs with standing, with three Quaker organizations dismissed for lack of standing.
- The case challenges President Trump’s 2025 rescission of the long-standing ‘sensitive locations’ guidance and follows a similar Maryland ruling that restricted immigration enforcement at churches.
- DHS disputes the premise of the lawsuits, asserting ICE does not raid churches, as faith groups point to documented enforcement incidents on or near church property.