Appeals court upholds worship immigration injunction
Analysis based on 6 articles · First reported Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026
This ruling has minimal direct market impact, as it concerns immigration enforcement policy and religious freedom. It may affect government contractors or entities involved in immigration enforcement, but the scope is narrow and limited to specific houses of worship.
On August 18, 2026, the United States — United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction limiting U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration enforcement at eight houses of worship affiliated with the Quakers, Sikhism, and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The court found that the Trump administration's policy, which rescinded a 2021 Biden-era policy protecting 'sensitive locations,' likely violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The ruling, authored by Judge Barbara Milano Keenan, was joined by Judges Pamela Harris and G. Steven Agee. The injunction, originally issued by District Judge Theodore D. Chuang in February 2026, requires DHS to follow the 2021 guidelines for these specific houses of worship. The court did not address First Amendment claims. Democracy Forward, represented by Skye Perryman, argued for the plaintiffs. DHS and United States — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement maintain they do not target places of worship but will act to protect public safety.
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