“People abducted from church parking lots… religious groups terrified to run their soup kitchens… This is the country we live in, the America that President Donald Trump has consistently claimed he would transform into a beacon for religious liberty.”

–LRRP Director Liz Platt

This report is intended as a practical tool for immigration attorneys, criminal defense lawyers, civil rights advocates, faith-based organizations, and houses of worship.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Max Herman.

Catholic hospitals have long prohibited abortion within their facilities. However, in the years after Roe, they were able to say “not here” while quietly relying on secular hospitals to offer the services needed to keep their patients safe. LRRP Director Elizabeth Reiner Platt has co-authored a paper in the Maryland Journal of Health Care Law and Policy that details this new relationship between hospital and state-level abortion bans.

In January of 2025, President Donald Trump withdrew a policy known as the “sensitive locations memo,” which had previously limited immigration enforcement in locations such as houses of worship and religious ceremonies. Religious groups challenged the withdrawal of these protections as, among other things, a violation of the groups’ religious liberty rights. This document provides updates on initial decisions in these lawsuits.

This FAQ explains whether and how RFRA might apply to protect people and communities of faith from immigration-related surveillance and enforcement.