A federal judge has ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents can continue making arrests near churches, dismissing a lawsuit filed by religious groups who argued the policy would hurt their communities.
The lawsuit, brought by several churches, challenged a policy change under the Trump administration that rolled back protections put in place during President Biden’s term. Those protections had designated churches, schools, hospitals, and similar places as “sensitive locations” where immigration arrests were generally off-limits.
But on Friday, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, said the churches couldn’t prove they were directly harmed by the new policy. She noted that while congregations may have shrunk, it wasn’t clear whether that was due to the policy change or broader fears caused by Trump’s overall immigration crackdown.
In her decision, Judge Friedrich explained that while concerns over reduced attendance were real, the evidence didn’t show that ending the “sensitive locations” rule was the main reason people stopped coming to church. “The plaintiffs haven’t shown enough proof that the policy change alone caused the drop in attendance,” she wrote.
The ruling keeps the Trump-era policy in place—at least for now. However, in a similar case in Maryland, a different federal judge ruled the opposite way, blocking ICE from arresting people near certain churches that had filed suit.
Meanwhile, immigration enforcement practices have stirred controversy in other parts of the country. In Boston, an ICE agent was found in contempt of court for arresting a man during his trial—a move the judge said violated the defendant’s rights to a fair hearing.
Boston has declared itself a sanctuary city, which means local police are not allowed to cooperate with federal immigration agents. This stance has drawn sharp criticism from former Trump officials and some Republicans, who say sanctuary policies hinder public safety.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat running for re-election, stood by the city’s approach. “We’re committed to making Boston a welcoming place for all,” she said, emphasizing that the city’s rules are meant to protect the rights and safety of immigrants.