Churches say threat of ICE enforcement is violating their religious rights

Thousands of congregations have sued over a policy change that opens the door for ICE raids at houses of worship.

Members of the Minnesota National Guard stage in the parking lot outside the Bishop Henry Whipple federal building on February 13, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. | Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

When anti-ICE protesters disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota last month, the Trump administration was unequivocal: interfering with “the right to pray in peace” would be met with severe consequences.

But across the country, advocates say the very government pledging to protect the right to worship — and prevent fear and intimidation — is in fact violating it at an epic scale.

The Trump administration has eliminated 30-year-old restrictions on ICE operations at or near churches, they note, and barred members of the clergy from providing “pastoral care” care to people held in temporary detention facilities. Religious organizations representing thousands of congregations of multiple faiths have sued over the policy changes, and some federal judges have ruled in their favor.

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