Court pauses ICE policy allowing enforcement in churches

Kevin R. Johnson

18 Feb 2026 — 1 min read

Courthouse News reports that a federal court in Massachusetts ruled that updated policy guidance allowing U.S. immigration enforcement in and around houses of worship unlawfully burdens religious exercise.

“It is of course true that the presence of millions of illegal immigrants within the borders of the United States justifies a substantial government response,” U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV said in the opinion. “But the need to address that problem cannot override the fundamental liberties on which our nation was founded."

Apps Open for Guadalajara Program Jan 8-13, 2027

I had the pleasure of attending this program in the summer of 2024. I cannot recommend it enough. I learned a tremendous amount about the immigration process in Mexico. If you're interested in attending, fill out this short registration form.

Urban Institute: Impacts of Heightened Immigration Enforcement on Children’s Education by Hamutal Bernstein, Diana Guelespe, Laura Betancur, Julio Salas

New from the Urban Institute: Impacts of Heightened Immigration Enforcement on Children’s Education by Hamutal Bernstein, Diana Guelespe, Laura Betancur, Julio Salas "The study’s key findings are as follows: * -- Nearly half of parents reported that their children had expressed concern about going to school because of

From the Bookshelves: When Africa Comes to America How the Next Wave of Immigrants Will Transform the United States by Neeraj Kaushal

When Africa Comes to America: How the Next Wave of Immigrants Will Transform the United States Neeraj Kaushal Columbia News: "Africans are the fastest-growing immigrant group to the United States. Only a tiny fraction in the 1960s, they represented 10% of documented immigration in 2022. Without attracting much notice,

Law360: BREAKING: Justices To Weigh If Cooking For Terrorists Bars Asylum

Britain Eakin for Law360 reports that the U.S. Supreme Court today granted review "whether a Nigerian man's short stint as a cook for a terrorist group constituted `material support' that would render the already deported man ineligible for asylum." The Court granted the U.

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Apps Open for Guadalajara Program Jan 8-13, 2027

Urban Institute: Impacts of Heightened Immigration Enforcement on Children’s Education by Hamutal Bernstein, Diana Guelespe, Laura Betancur, Julio Salas

From the Bookshelves: When Africa Comes to America How the Next Wave of Immigrants Will Transform the United States by Neeraj Kaushal

Law360: BREAKING: Justices To Weigh If Cooking For Terrorists Bars Asylum