A coalition consisting of 27 Christian and Jewish organizations, which collectively represent millions of Americans, initiated a lawsuit on Tuesday against a recent move by the Trump administration. This action permits federal immigration enforcement to carry out arrests within places of worship.

The federal lawsuit was submitted to the U.S. District Court in Washington and encompasses a diverse group of religious entities, including the Episcopal Church, the Union for Reform Judaism, the Mennonites, and Unitarian Universalists.

The lawsuit contests President Donald Trump’s directive that overturned a previous policy from the Biden administration, which prohibited immigration agents from apprehending undocumented immigrants in sensitive locations such as houses of worship, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

According to the plaintiffs, this new policy has instigated a climate of anxiety regarding potential raids, resulting in diminished attendance at religious services and other church activities. They argue that this policy violates their religious freedom, particularly in their mission to provide support to migrants, including those without legal status.

‘SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES’: TED CRUZ DELIVERS STRONG WARNING TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FLEEING BORDER PATROL

Fatima Guzman prays during a church service at the Centro Cristiano El Pan de Vida, a mid-size Church of God of Prophecy congregation in Kissimmee, Florida, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP)

“We have immigrants, refugees—both documented and undocumented,” stated the Most Rev. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, in an interview with The Associated Press.

“Our freedom to worship is compromised when some among us live in fear,” he added. “Through this lawsuit, we seek the ability to assemble and fully engage in our faith, in keeping with Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”

A similar legal action was launched on January 27 by five Quaker congregations, later joined by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and a Sikh temple. That case is still pending in U.S. District Court in Maryland.

The current lawsuit targets the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its immigration enforcement divisions.

“We are protecting our schools and places of worship, as well as the individuals attending them, by preventing criminal elements from using these venues as safe havens,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, stated in a public announcement.

“This directive enables our law enforcement to fulfill their duties effectively,” she added.

A memorandum issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, which opposes claims made in the Quaker lawsuit, may also apply to the current legal challenge.

The DOJ contends that the request to halt the new immigration enforcement policy is based on unfounded fears of hypothetical future harm, which they argue are insufficient grounds for a court victory for the Quakers.

The memo emphasizes that immigration enforcement in places of worship has been permissible for years, stating that the recent policy reminds field agents to employ “common sense” and “discretion,” although they can now execute immigration operations in religious institutions without needing supervisor consent.

However, one argument in that memo may not apply here, as it addresses the Quakers’ claim regarding a need for a nationwide injunction to defend all religious institutions from the new policy.

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

A congregant kneels in prayer at the Centro Cristiano El Pan de Vida, a mid-size Church of God of Prophecy congregation in Kissimmee, Florida, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP)

“Any judicial relief in this matter should specifically benefit only the named plaintiffs,” the DOJ memo stated, asserting that any injunction should not extend to other faith-based organizations.

The plaintiffs in this new lawsuit represent a significantly larger segment of American worshipers, including over 1 million adherents of Reform Judaism, approximately 1.5 million Episcopalians, and around 1.5 million active members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, among others.

“The substantial scale of this lawsuit will be hard for authorities to overlook,” remarked Kelsi Corkran, lead counsel and a lawyer at Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, when speaking to The Associated Press.

Corkran explained that the plaintiffs joined this initiative because their scripture and teachings consistently emphasize their religious duty to support and serve refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants, regardless of their documentation status.

Previously, Corkran noted, immigration officers generally needed a judicial warrant or other specific authorization to perform duties in sensitive sites like places of worship. Now, she emphasized, “they can operate anywhere at any time.” “They have received clear directives to apprehend every undocumented individual they can find.”

The lawsuit detailed how various plaintiffs’ outreach programs may be influenced. Organizations like the Union for Reform Judaism and the Mennonites pointed out that many of their buildings operate foodbanks, meal initiatives, shelters, and other forms of assistance for undocumented migrants who may now hesitate to participate due to fear.

One participant, the Latino Christian National Network, illustrated the anxiety experienced by migrants in light of the new immigration policy under the Trump administration.

Rev. Carlos Malavé, president of the network and pastor at two churches in Virginia, expressed to The Associated Press, “There’s a pervasive fear and distrust towards the government among our members. People are reluctant to shop, and they are steering clear of church services. … Many congregations have shifted to online worship due to concerns for their families’ safety.”

Jean-Michel Gisnel prays with congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP)

Notably, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, representing the largest Christian denomination in the country, did not join the new lawsuit, even though they have publicly condemned Trump’s deportation strategies.

On Tuesday, Pope Francis voiced criticism towards the administration’s immigration policies, asserting that forcibly removing individuals due to their immigration status violates their fundamental dignity and predicting that such actions “will end badly.”

Conversely, numerous conservative religious leaders and legal experts have expressed no concerns about immigration enforcement targeting places of worship.

Mat Staver, the founder of the conservative legal group Liberty Counsel, asserted to The Associated Press, “Worship spaces are meant for faith practices, not as havens for illegal actions or those evading law enforcement.” He further stated, “Fugitives or criminals do not have a right to evade the law by merely entering a religious space. This issue is not about religious freedom; rather, it’s about obeying the law.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.