A federal judge issued a ruling on Monday blocking the Trump administration from conducting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at certain places of worship.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, an Obama appointee, granted the injunction to protect specific churches and religious institutions that had filed a lawsuit against the administration. However, ICE is still permitted to conduct operations at other places of worship that were not part of the legal challenge.
According to Politico, the lawsuit was brought by a coalition of religious institutions, including Quaker, Baptist, and Sikh congregations, who argued that the administration’s policy violated their religious freedoms.
Judge Chuang’s decision does not amount to a nationwide block but applies only to the plaintiffs involved in the case.
The dispute stems from a policy shift by the Trump administration, which removed the protections previously established under the Biden administration that limited ICE enforcement at so-called “sensitive” locations such as churches, schools, and hospitals.
In his 59-page ruling, Chuang emphasized the impact the Trump directive had on religious communities, noting that the fear of immigration enforcement had already led to reduced attendance at places of worship.
“The substantial burden that the [Trump administration’s] policy imposes is far from speculative and is already occurring,” Chuang wrote. He referenced the administration’s public statements on its commitment to stricter enforcement, specifically pointing to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement that “criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.”
The ruling comes amid growing frustration within the Trump administration over what it sees as a slow pace of deportations. Last week, Acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello was removed from his position following reports that President Trump was dissatisfied with the agency’s enforcement efforts.
Earlier this month, NBC News reported that both Trump and his newly appointed border czar, Tom Homan, were disappointed with the current number of deportations. The administration has reportedly been pressing ICE to ramp up its operations, including more aggressive removal efforts.
Vitello has since been reassigned to oversee field and enforcement operations, signaling a renewed push by the administration to increase deportation numbers.
Despite internal frustrations, Reuters reported that since Inauguration Day, the Trump administration has deported nearly 40,000 illegal immigrants.
With the legal battle over ICE enforcement zones heating up, this ruling could set the stage for further challenges to the administration’s hardline immigration policies. However, given the limited scope of Chuang’s injunction, the broader effort to ramp up deportations is expected to continue.