DHS Must Defend Faith Groups’ Suit on Worship Site Enforcement

Religious groups of various denominations can move forward with their challenge to a Department of Homeland Security policy that leaves immigration enforcement actions around places of worship up to the discretion of individual officers, a federal judge said.

The 2025 DHS policy that rescinded a 2021 directive protecting houses of worship and other areas from such actions constituted a final agency action reviewable by a court, Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the US District Court for the District of Maryland said Tuesday. Chuang denied DHS’ motion to dismiss Administrative Procedure Act claims on grounds that they weren’t reviewable, but dismissed ...