DC Circuit Reverses Denial of Preliminary Injunction in Mennonite Church USA v. DHS, Holds Faith-Group Plaintiffs Likely Have Standing; Rao Dissents

On October 20, 2026, a D.C. Circuit panel of Judges Wilkins, Rao and Pan reversed the district court’s denial of a preliminary injunction in Mennonite Church USA v. DHS and sent the motion back for further consideration. Judge Pan wrote for the court; Judge Rao dissented.

The plaintiffs, a group of twenty-seven Judeo-Christian organizations, challenge DHS’s January 2025 rescission of the “Sensitive Locations Policy” that had long limited immigration enforcement at houses of worship. The district court had denied the injunction on Article III standing grounds. The panel majority held that all plaintiffs likely have associational standing, on the theory that enforcement at houses of worship threatens their member congregations. The majority declined to reach the plaintiffs’ other standing theories.

The ruling decides standing only. The preliminary-injunction merits, including the requested judicial-warrant requirement, were not decided and return to the district court. Judge Rao’s dissent would have affirmed, arguing that restoring the prior guidance would not redress the plaintiffs’ injuries.

Prior coverage pre-staged this entry as “ruling pending.” See the research tracker note mennonite-v-dhs-dc-circuit-ruling-tracker for the full plaintiff list, taken from the complaint.