Courts Clash Over ICE Raids Near Schools and Houses of Worship as Trump Policy Spurs Chaos

The Trump administration’s decision to scrap a decades-old policy restricting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting raids near “sensitive locations” such as schools, houses of worship, and hospitals has ignited fierce legal battles and community uproar. The resulting chaos spotlights the administration’s blatant disregard for religious freedom and public safety, as well as its willingness to weaponize immigration enforcement to sow fear.

Faith groups have pushed back hard. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and allies, including Sikh and Quaker congregations across multiple states, won a temporary restraining order in February 2025 preventing ICE from targeting their houses of worship. Their case, joined by Democracy Forward, is now before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia. Jennifer Hawks, CBF’s director of advocacy, expressed confidence in the legal protections but warned Congress to act swiftly to restore statutory safeguards through the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act.

Similarly, the Alliance of Baptists and American Baptist Churches USA, along with other religious groups, secured a preliminary injunction from the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Massachusetts. This ruling keeps protections for churches intact during ongoing litigation, shielding congregations from ICE raids while the courts deliberate.

But the story is starkly different for Minnesota’s public schools. A coalition of educators and school districts, including Fridley and Duluth Public Schools and the Education Minnesota teachers’ union, sought to block ICE from conducting raids at schools and bus stops. Their request was denied on May 6 by U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino, who ruled the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate they would likely prevail. The judge cited prior policies as “largely suggestive” and emphasized that ICE has always retained discretion to conduct enforcement near sensitive locations under certain circumstances.

Yet the plaintiffs argue that ICE has far exceeded any reasonable discretion, staging enforcement operations directly in school parking lots and following school leadership, creating a climate of fear that has led to significant drops in attendance and heightened anxiety among students and families. The lawsuit alleges that these aggressive tactics violate community rights and common sense.

The conflicting rulings highlight a broader pattern: the Trump administration’s aggressive rollback of protections for vulnerable communities and its willingness to use immigration enforcement as a tool of intimidation. While religious institutions have managed to secure some legal reprieve, public schools and their communities continue to bear the brunt of ICE’s unchecked raids.

This patchwork legal landscape leaves immigrants, families, and communities vulnerable and unsettled. As litigation continues, the need for clear, enforceable protections for sensitive locations has never been more urgent. Congress must step in to restore these commonsense safeguards and prevent ICE from turning schools, churches, and hospitals into enforcement zones.

We will keep tracking these developments and holding those in power accountable for policies that threaten democratic values, civil rights, and community safety.