ICE Rescinds Protection for Nonprofits’ Sensitive Locations

With every new Presidential Administration, there is a change of priorities and policies. But the past week brought quite a radical shift in policies that directly impact many nonprofits.

One of the new policies adopted by the new administration is to deconsecrate houses of worship, schools, and health facilities when it comes to immigration investigations. For many years, the federal government has said that it will not conduct immigration enforcement raids in these sensitive locations. This policy reflected the common-sense idea that people should be free to send their kids to school, get medical treatment from hospitals, and attend services in houses of worship without worrying that the federal government might intrude upon their visit. It also reflected a widely held perspective that most people don’t want federal agents crawling over their child’s school or their place of worship.

The former policy of forbearance is no more. During its first week, the new Trump Administration announced it will no longer respect sensitive locations, like schools, hospitals, and churches when it comes to immigration enforcement. Instead, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded the longstanding ssensitive location policy. As DHS put it:

“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.

To be sure, many nonprofits are fighting back. Schools, both public and private, have expressed alarm at this disruption of their educational mission. Churches who view themselves as serving a calling higher than President Trump have announced efforts to resist ICE raids.  But many nonprofits are perceiving that their connection and service to their members is under unprecedented attack from the new administration, and this is understandably causing a lot of fear. Whether this federal government intrusion into some of our nation’s most sacred spaces is tolerated remains to be seen.

-Joseph Mead