Churches Seek Contempt Charges Against DHS Over Alleged Surveillance

A coalition of churches, including the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts seeking to hold the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in contempt. The plaintiffs allege that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents repeatedly violated a preliminary injunction that prohibits warrantless surveillance on designated church properties.

The motion claims that an undercover ICE agent infiltrated a class at University Baptist Church in Minneapolis on May 28, 2026. According to the filing, the agent allegedly wore a concealed microphone and recorded attendees in the church gymnasium for approximately two hours. The church had previously been identified as a protected location under the court order, and signage regarding this status was posted at the building's entrances in March.

Citing documents from a separate criminal case, the plaintiffs argue that these actions constitute a direct breach of the court's mandate. Church members have expressed shock regarding the alleged surveillance, and the motion requests that the court compel the agency to explain its conduct.