Appeals Court Leaves in Place Injunction Blocking Trump-Vance Administration’s Unlawful Intrusion into the Sanctity of Houses of Worship
August 19, 2026 - Richmond, Va. — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the U.S. District 
Court of Maryland order blocking a Trump-Vance administration policy that seeks to give immigration officers free rein to carry out enforcement actions at or near the houses of worship of the plaintiffs while this litigation proceeds.
The decision leaves in place the district court’s injunction protecting the plaintiffs after the administration abandoned decades-long protections that restricted immigration enforcement at houses of worship and other sensitive locations. The administration’s policy gives immigration officers—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers—broad discretion to conduct enforcement actions at or near places of worship guided only by their “common sense,” forcing congregations to alter religious services and discouraging worshippers from attending for fear of raids by armed immigration officers. Importantly, this decision comes amidst reports of U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing surveillance of churches, demonstrating the administration’s continued disregard for religious protections.
The lawsuit was filed by Democracy Forward on behalf of: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, New England Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Adelphi Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Richmond Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Sikh Temple Sacramento, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
The district court previously concluded that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claims challenging the administration’s policy and entered a preliminary injunction imposing guardrails on immigration-enforcement actions at or near the plaintiffs’ houses of worship to protect their rights while the case proceeds.
The coalition of plaintiffs issued the following statement:
“This decision reaffirms a fundamental promise of religious liberty: every person should be able to gather, worship, pray, and serve their community without fear that immigration enforcement will unlawfully disrupt sacred spaces. For generations, our houses of worship have welcomed all who seek spiritual guidance and community service. The Trump-Vance administration’s policy threatened that longstanding tradition by forcing congregations to choose between fulfilling their religious mission and protecting members of their communities. We are grateful that the court has preserved these protections while this case moves forward, and we will continue fighting to ensure that religious freedom remains meaningful for every congregation and every person who walks through our doors.”
The case is Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends v. DHS, and the legal team at Democracy Forward includes Bradley Girard, Andrew Bookbinder, Ayesha Khan, Sterling Moore, Sarah Goetz, and Elena Goldstein.
Read the order here.
Source: Democracy Forward
