Quaker Groups Sue Trump Admin For Blocking Policy That Prevented Immigration Raids in Places of Worship: 'Invades Our Sacred Space'

A coalition of Quaker groups has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over a recent policy shift that allows immigration enforcement in "sensitive" locations, such as schools and places of worship.

The lawsuit, filed on January 27 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, challenges the Trump administration's reversal of long-standing protections for such spaces, arguing that the policy violates constitutional rights to religious freedom and freedom of association.

"President Trump swore an oath to defend the Constitution and yet today religious institutions that have existed since the 1600s in our country are having to go to court to challenge what is a violation of every individual's Constitutional right to worship and associate freely," said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, organization representing the Quaker groups, through a statement.

Through a statement of its own, the DHS explained that the policy is essential to empowering law enforcement to apprehend "criminal aliens," emphasizing the administration's intent to prioritize public safety.

The Quaker lawsuit argues that this policy undermines fundamental tenets of their faith, particularly communal worship. In their religious practice, worship is conducted in silence, allowing individuals to share divine messages freely. The presence of immigration enforcement near meetinghouses disrupts this environment and instills fear among immigrant attendees, leading some congregations to cancel worship services entirely.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, one of the plaintiffs, said in the same statement that the policy "invades our sacred space and ability to worship freely." The New England Yearly Meeting, founded in 1661 and the oldest formal Quaker association, added that "friends believe every human being has the right to come together to worship. This policy violates that right and our calling to welcome all."

Reached for comment by The Latin Times, immigration attorney Michelle Marty, believes the lawsuit by the Quaker groups to be "both legally significant and symbolically powerful" as it will be based on constitutional and statutory protections under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which protect the right to practice religion, including all aspects of observance. As Marty puts it:

"If the Quakers demonstrate that ICE's actions impose a substantial burden on their religious practice, then the government might face a significant challenge in proving that enforcement in churches is the least restrictive means to achieve its immigration objectives"

Although it's still very early to tell what the outcome of the lawsuit could look like, Marty believes that a successful outcome for the Quakers could strengthen not only their protections going forward, but those of other places of worship. "This could limit the immigration enforcement actions in these places, reaffirming previous ICE sensitive locations policies and potentially expanding them," she explained.

However, an unsuccessful outcome could bolster ICE to escalate enforcement actions in religious spaces, causing widespread fear among immigrant communities and likely sparking broader protests from civil society, as well as other faith-based groups.