Quaker plaintiffs are suing the Trump administration over its immigration enforcement policies, arguing that the raids in religious spaces infringe upon their First Amendment rights and violate their religious freedoms.
The Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration
Quaker groups have initiated legal proceedings against the Trump administration, challenging the authorization of immigration raids within places of worship. According to the plaintiffs, these actions encroach upon their First Amendment rights and deter immigrant congregants from religious participation. The legal action challenges the removal of prior safeguards that barred immigration enforcement in sensitive locations like churches.
BREAKING: Quaker meetings sue Trump admin to keep ICE out of houses of worship. We represent them in challenging this harmful policy, which reverses decades of protections and has already sowed fear in many congregations. Read the full statement: https://t.co/2NKY3bm5NS pic.twitter.com/oBJ9DCvE72
— Democracy Forward (@DemocracyFwd) January 27, 2025
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland, with representation by the Democracy Forward Foundation. The directive overturned previous policies that protected spaces such as churches and schools from law enforcement interventions. Critics argue that this change places immigrant communities in a heightened state of fear and undermines the safety of spaces integral to civil and religious life.
Quaker groups sued to prevent US immigration agents from carrying arrests and searches in houses of worship, after the Trump Administration rescinded guidance that protected churches and schools from his mass deportation campaign https://t.co/IAvsCKj15c pic.twitter.com/9jRnOMjrdn
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) January 27, 2025
Impact on Religious and Community Spaces
Quaker communities and their allies assert that the directive jeopardizes their congregations and contradicts their religious beliefs. They argue that the presence of armed agents during religious services disrupts their practices and burdens their ability to exercise their religion freely. “Welcoming and worshiping with all people, including immigrants, is a fundamental element of our religious exercise,” stated the Richmond Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.
The plaintiffs, supported by the Democracy Forward Foundation, seek immediate legal intervention to prevent further encroachments on their religious and community spaces. By filing this lawsuit, Quaker groups stand firm in their historical role as protectors of religious liberty and advocate for sanctuary for those in need.
The Argument from the Trump Administration
The Trump administration contends that the directive empowers agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to effectively carry out immigration laws, targeting criminal aliens within the country. DHS spokespersons have argued that the enforcement actions prevent criminals from evading arrest by hiding in schools and churches.
“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.” DHS spokesperson.
The broader implications of this lawsuit are significant, as it is the first religious-based legal challenge to this particular order. The outcome could have wide-ranging effects on how religious liberty provisions are interpreted concerning immigration enforcement in the United States.
Sources:
https://newrepublic.com/post/190756/trump-ice-lawsuit-quakers
https://www.yahoo.com/news/quaker-meetings-sue-dhs-over-093420704.html
https://www.reuters.com/legal/quakers-sue-keep-us-immigration-agents-out-houses-worship-2025-01-27/