Noem, DHS Sued Over Immigration Raids at Worship Houses, Schools

The US Department of Homeland Security is illegally conducting immigration raids in places of worship, schools, and medical clinics, according to several churches, and a Latinx labor union in a new lawsuit Monday.

DHS’ decision to rescind its past practice discouraging immigration enforcement at certain “sensitive” or “protected” locations violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the plaintiffs say in their complaint in the US District Court for the District of Oregon. The move, known as the “Huffman memo,” also allegedly violates the First Amendment.

“As a result of the administration’s new policy, sacred spaces have become sources of extreme anxiety rather than places of healing, expression, reflection, celebration, and refuge,” the plaintiffs said.

The US Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos Del Noroeste—Oregon’s largest Latinx labor union—and four different churches want the district court to declare the Huffman memo unconstitutional, void, and of no effect, the complaint says. They also want the memo declared unlawful because it’s allegedly arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.

DHS maintained a consistent non-enforcement policy at the aforementioned sensitive locations for more than 30 years until the Huffman memo was released, the complaint says. The plaintiffs say that former DHS secretary Alejandro Mayorkas released a memo in 2021 that recognized this practice as a “fundamental” agency principle and provided substantive and procedural protections for sensitive locations.

But DHS revoked Mayorkas’ memo during the onset of President Donald Trump’s second administration, the complaint says. Two memos, including the Huffman memo, replaced DHS’ guidelines pertaining to “sacred civic spaces” with guidance directing agents to “use common sense” when carrying out enforcement actions in or near previously protected areas.

“Teachers reported that attendance rates dropped in half and school administrators saw an influx of parents picking their children up from school in the middle of the day after hearing reports that immigration officials were in the area,” the plaintiffs said.

The plaintiffs allege that the Huffman memo has led to a decline in attendance at places serving immigrant communities, such as social service agencies, places of worship, and medical facilities. They also say sensitive locations have been forced to implement new measures to keep community members safe from immigration enforcement, taking up much of their limited time and resources.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its Acting Director Todd Lyons, and the US Customs and Border Protection and its Acting Commissioner Pete Flores were also named as co-defendants, the complaint says.

About 30 religious organizations sued DHS in February, challenging the Trump executive order that was used to rescind the agency’s past sensitive locations policy. These organizations were unable to garner a preliminary injunction in April. But another coalition of religious groups were able to temporarily stop immigration enforcement at congregations that believe in communal worship, service to immigrants, and pacifism.

Innovation Law Lab and Justice Action Center represent the plaintiffs.

The case is Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos Del Noroeste v. Noem, D. Or., No. 6:25-cv-00699, complaint 4/28/25.