Religious Groups Sue DHS Over Immigration Raids in Places of Worship - Articles

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Religious Groups Sue DHS Over Immigration Raids in Places of Worship

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 14, 2025

About 30 religious organizations sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in federal court Tuesday, challenging its recent decision to conduct immigration raids in places of worship. According to Bloomberg Law, the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia claims the revocation of a previous DHS policy that restricted immigration enforcement in or near places of worship violates the First Amendment's freedom of religion protections and other federal laws. The new lawsuit echoes and expands on arguments made in a similar lawsuit filed Jan. 27 by five Quaker congregations, which is currently pending in U.S. District Court in Maryland. A memorandum filed last week by the Department of Justice, opposing the thrust of the Quaker lawsuit, outlined further arguments that may also apply to the new lawsuit, AP News reports. The memo suggests that the plaintiffs' request to block the new enforcement policy is based on speculation of hypothetical future harm, making it insufficient grounds for issuing an injunction.