Appeals court upholds block on immigration arrests at certain houses of worship
A federal appeals court sided with houses of worship from the Quaker, Sikh, and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship religious traditions.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a preliminary injunction that blocks the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing immigration policies at certain houses of worship. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, in a unanimous decision, ruled that the policy substantially burdens the free exercise of religion for Quakers, Cooperative Baptists, and Sikhs.
The decision, written by Judge Barbara Milano Keenan, stated that the policy is causing a decline in attendance at the affected houses of worship. The lawsuit, filed last year, argued that the policy violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment. The plaintiffs, which include the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Gurdwara Sahib West Sacramento, and six Quaker Meetings, welcomed immigrant worshipers and have locations in or near immigrant communities.
The court's decision reaffirms the fundamental promise of religious liberty, stating that every person should be able to gather and worship without fear of unlawful disruption at sacred spaces.
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