Sacred spaces should remain sacred. All of us, regardless of what we look like or where we were born, should feel safe at school, the doctor’s office, or in houses of worship. On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration abruptly and arbitrarily opened sensitive locations to immigration enforcement at the unfettered discretion of immigration agents, making it easier to detain individuals in former safe spaces and making it harder for immigrants of all statuses and their loved ones to access crucial services.
The Trump administration has given ICE free rein to arrest people in sacred spaces, threatening their sanctity for everyone. This has wreaked havoc on our plaintiffs and countless other community-serving organizations seeking to carry out their missions; the families, individuals, and children who visit these locations; and community members who bear witness to often traumatizing and chilling ICE activity.
We’re filing Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos Del Noreste et al v. Noem et al to bring back the decades-long guidance that keeps these safe spaces safe for all.
On April 28th, 2025, community organizations and faith leaders across the country joined together to sue the Trump administration for the sanctity of safe spaces such as community organizations, schools, hospitals, and places of worship from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The plaintiffs, represented by Innovation Law Lab and Justice Action Center, are challenging the Trump administration’s revocation of decades-old protection that has ensured ICE cannot access what are known as sensitive locations.
Press Releases:
- 4/29/25: Community Organizations and Houses of Worship Across the Nation Sue Trump Administration to Preserve the Sanctity of Safe Spaces (includes video recording of 4/29 press conference)
News:
- 4/28/25 | New York Times | Lawsuit Challenges Policy Allowing Immigration Action in Churches and Schools