D.C. Circuit Court allows multifaith challenge to ICE sensitive locations policy

A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has reversed a lower court ruling, allowing a multifaith coalition to proceed with its legal challenge against a Trump administration policy. The policy rescinded long-standing restrictions that limited U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions at sensitive locations, such as houses of worship, schools, and hospitals.

The lawsuit was filed in 2025 by more than two dozen religious organizations, including 27 Jewish and Christian denominations. The coalition seeks to contest the removal of protections that had shielded these locations from immigration enforcement for over three decades, except in cases involving public safety or national security threats.

The D.C. Circuit's decision overturns an April 2025 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which had previously determined that the coalition lacked the standing necessary to challenge the rescission of the sensitive locations policy.