Religious Groups Win D.C. Circuit Permission to Pursue Lawsuit Over Immigration Raids in Churches

A federal appeals court affirmed that a lawsuit filed by 27 religious organizations can move forward against the Department of Homeland Security. The suit contests the 2025 repeal of a longstanding directive—originally set in 1993 and most recently codified in the 2021 "Mayorkas Memo"—that limited immigration enforcement at "sensitive sites" like churches, schools and hospitals. Plaintiffs, ranging from the Unitarian Universalist Association to the Central Conference of American Rabbis, argue that the policy change subjects worshippers to raids, surveillance and arrests, infringing their free-exercise rights and violating the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The court found the groups likely suffer "imminent" harm and have standing, sending the case back to the D.C. District Court to consider three legal claims, including a First Amendment challenge and an Administrative Procedure Act violation. Evidence cited includes ICE arrests during services in Georgia and New Jersey and surveillance of a Minneapolis church. Two related lawsuits have already secured preliminary injunctions, while a fourth remains pending.