More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its policy allowing immigration agents more flexibility in where they make arrests.
“On January 20, 2025, DHS abruptly reversed course and rescinded the sensitive locations policy,” the lawsuit says, going on to note that “[a]t least one of these enforcement actions occurred at a church in Georgia during worship service.”
“Plaintiffs’ congregations and members face an imminent risk of similar immigration enforcement actions at their places of worship. Consistent with their call to welcome and serve all people, many have undocumented congregants and many offer social service ministries— such as food and clothing pantries, English as a Second Language (‘ESL’) classes, legal assistance, and job training services—at their churches and synagogues that serve undocumented people,” the filing adds. “An immigration enforcement action during worship services, ministry work, or other congregational activities would be devastating to their religious practice.”
Churches involved in the lawsuit include:
- Mennonite Church USA
- The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
- Central Atlantic Conference United Church of Christ
- The Central Conference of American Rabbis
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Church of the Brethren
- Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas
- The Episcopal Church
- Fellowship Southwest
- Friends General Conference
- General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
- General Commission on Religion and Race of the United Methodist Church
- Latino Christian Network
- Massachusetts Council of Churches
- The New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
- New York State Council of Churches
- The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church
- The Rabbinical Assembly
- Reconstructing Judaism
- Rhone Island State Council of Churches
- Union for Reform Judaism
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
- The Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church
- Wisconsin Council of Churches
- Wisdom, Inc.
On January 21, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued two directives to counter illegal immigration.
The first directive pulled the Biden administration’s guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that inhibit action in “sensitive” locations. The second directive ended the abuse of humanitarian parole.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” Huffman said. “The Biden-Harris Administration abused the humanitarian parole program to indiscriminately allow 1.5 million migrants to enter our country. This was all stopped on day one of the Trump Administration. This action will return the humanitarian parole program to its original purpose of looking at migrants on a case-by-case basis.”
