DC Circuit Rules for Religious Groups Against ICE Church Raids
DC Circuit sided with 27 religious groups challenging ICE enforcement in churches.
Why it matters: The ruling reinforces protections for religious venues against immigration enforcement actions, a key precedent for civil rights law and government enforcement limits.
- On October 20, 2026, the DC Circuit ruled for 27 Christian and Jewish groups blocking ICE raids in houses of worship.
- The court found these groups showed credible imminent harm from DHS rescinding its previous protections against enforcement at religious sites.
- The ruling reversed a lower court's denial of a preliminary injunction, allowing the lawsuit 'Mennonite Church USA v. DHS' to proceed.
- Judges Florence Pan and Robert Wilkins formed the majority; Judge Neomi Rao dissented.
- The decision underscores conflict between immigration enforcement policies and religious freedoms.
On October 20, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of a coalition of 27 Judeo-Christian organizations suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These groups challenged DHS's January 2025 policy change that allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct enforcement actions in places of worship.
The court found the religious groups demonstrated a credible threat of imminent harm. The rescinded policy had previously shielded houses of worship from raids and interrogations, protecting congregants' religious practices and privacy. Judge Florence Pan wrote in the majority opinion, "Plaintiffs' members likely face imminent harm from increased enforcement at their houses of worship. That harm is traceable to the new enforcement policy."
This ruling reversed a lower court's denial of a preliminary injunction, which had prevented the case from moving forward. According to US District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor, "The prospect that a street-level law-enforcement agent—acting without a judicial warrant and with little or no supervisory control—could conduct a raid during a church service, or lie in wait to interrogate or seize congregants as they seek to enter a church, is profoundly troubling."
The lawsuit, Mennonite Church USA v. DHS, highlights ongoing tensions where religious freedoms intersect with immigration enforcement. While the majority emphasized the potential harm, the appellate panel was divided with Judge Neomi Rao dissenting. This ruling strengthens the legal boundary for protecting religious sites from ICE enforcement actions.
Legal professionals monitoring civil rights and government enforcement policies should note that this case may set precedent influencing future enforcement and litigation at the intersection of immigration and religious freedoms.
By the numbers:
- 27 — Judeo-Christian organizations challenging DHS policy
- January 20, 2025 — DHS rescinded policy limiting immigration enforcement at religious sites
- October 20, 2026 — Date of appellate court ruling
Yes, but: Judge Neomi Rao dissented, though specific details of her opinion are not publicly available.