Federal Judge Allows ICE to Raid Churches

In April of 2025, a federal judge ruled that immigration agents had the authority to carry out deportation operations inside houses of worship. Previously, numerous churches and religious organizations had sued the federal government, claiming that undocumented migrants had the right to visit places of worship without fearing deportation. It seems that the age-old concept of “sanctuary” does not apply in the United States, and now ICE is free to raid churches in search of undocumented migrants. 

Churches “Not Being Singled Out” By ICE

District Judge Dabney Friedrich found that the churches did not have legal standing to sue the federal government. These churches included more than 24 Christian and Jewish groups, and these groups allegedly represented millions of religious individuals in the country. Judge Friedrich stated that the lawsuit failed because the churches were not being singled out by immigration agents in any way. As a result, there was no real reason to suspect religious discrimination. The judge also pointed out that there were only a handful of known cases in which ICE raided churches in search of undocumented individuals. 

Church Groups Vow to Protect the Freedom of Speech

After the decision, the defeated church groups re-avowed their commitment to the First Amendment. They also say that this policy violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Church officials back up their arguments with numbers, highlighting the declining rate of church participation since the new administration launched its “mass deportation” policy. The implication is that many undocumented migrants were going to church, especially in areas with larger migrant populations. 

However, the judge doubted whether this drop in participation was truly due to ICE:

“That evidence suggests that congregants are staying home to avoid encountering ICE in their own neighborhoods, not because churches or synagogues are locations of elevated risk.”

In other words, preventing ICE from conducting raids on churches would have no effect, since unlawful immigrants are already scared to simply leave their homes. 

Is ICE Really Raiding Churches?

There have been limited reports of ICE conducting operations on churches. A few people have been arrested at churches, and some have reported seeing ICE conduct surveillance operations near churches. However, there is no real evidence that these operations are occurring en masse, and ICE is likely targeting other locations that are more likely to attract a higher number of undocumented migrants. 

The End of “Sensitive Locations” and “Protected Areas”

These kinds of rulings spell the end of a long-term policy that protected certain areas from immigration enforcement. These “sensitive areas” included churches, schools, medical facilities, social services facilities, and any place that attracts large groups of children. 

It seems that there are few remaining restrictions on ICE, and they may conduct their operations wherever they see fit. That said, many ICE officers probably use discretion when approaching certain areas, which might explain the relatively low number of crackdowns on churches across the United States. 

Keep Informed with the Universal Life Church

Each month, various cases test the nature of religious rights in this country. While the basis for many religious rights is the United States Constitution, there are still countless cases that question the exact nature of these rights. The Universal Life Church’s blog is focused on documenting the most noteworthy of these cases in an objective manner that can be easily understood by readers.