Case in Point March/April 2026
March/April 2026Appeals Court Allows Louisiana Ten Commandments Law to Move Forward
In a closely watched case, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Louisiana may proceed with a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. The court concluded it is too early to decide whether the law violates the U.S. Constitution.
In February, a majority of the court’s 18 active judges held that the challenge to the law is not yet “ripe” for review. The court said it cannot assess the law’s constitutionality in the abstract without knowing how the displays will appear in practice. Ruling now, the judges reasoned, would be “speculation,” as it’s not yet known whether schools will present the Ten Commandments alone or alongside other historical documents, such as the Declaration of Independence or the Mayflower Compact.
The decision reverses a lower court ruling that had blocked the law and overturns an earlier decision by a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit. The ruling applies only to Louisiana, though the court recently heard arguments in a similar case involving a Texas law.
Groups challenging the law say they will continue their legal efforts. They argue that mandating a poster of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms favors Christianity over other religions and violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause.
Federal Court Blocks ICE Church Enforcement Policy
A federal judge in Massachusetts has temporarily barred the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing a new policy allowing immigration agents to conduct arrests, searches, and interrogations in or near churches.
In New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America v. Department of Homeland Security (Feb. 13, 2026), the court ruled that the new DHS policy likely violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The policy replaced 2021 guidance that limited immigration enforcement actions at houses of worship to “exigent circumstances” or required prior headquarters approval.
The lawsuit against DHS was brought by 11 Christian organizations, and the court found that several of these had suffered harm from the change in DHS policy, including declines in worship attendance, reduced participation in ministries, and financial harm. In granting a preliminary injunction, the judge concluded that routine immigration enforcement does not justify intrusions on religious worship and that enforcement actions inside churches are permissible only in true emergencies.
The injunction applies only to the plaintiff organizations and allows actions carried out under administrative or judicial warrants. However, for now it also bars church enforcement operations absent exigent circumstances, even with supervisory approval.
Samoa Prime Minister Signals Possible Limits on
Non-Christian Faiths
Samoa’s prime minister has raised the possibility of restricting religious freedom for non-Christian groups in the South Pacific nation of roughly 220,000 people.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt said he wants to prevent religious divisions like those seen in other countries and has asked the Samoa Council of Churches to advise him on the nation’s religious liberty laws. He indicated that constitutional changes could be considered, potentially through a national discussion or referendum.
Since taking office in August last year, the prime minister has advanced a public religious agenda, including requiring weekly fasting and prayer for public servants and banning construction work on Sundays.
The proposals have raised concerns about the future of religious minorities in a country in which Christianity is the dominant faith.
A Religious Ministry May Prefer Coreligionists in Hiring
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said that religious organizations have a constitutional right to hire according to their faith, even for “ordinary” or nonclergy positions.
In Union Gospel Mission of Yakima v. Brown (January 6, 2026) the court upheld a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of a Washington state anti-discrimination law against a Christian homeless ministry that hires only fellow believers. At the center of the dispute is Union Gospel’s requirement that all employees—from ministers to kitchen workers to IT staff—abstain from sexual conduct outside marriage between one man and one woman.
In its decision the court said that the First Amendment’s church autonomy doctrine can protect religious organizations’ employment decisions when they are based on matters of faith and doctrine. A ministry, therefore, may conclude that its religious mission is best served by employing individuals who share and live out its beliefs, including in nonministerial roles.
At the same time, the court emphasized that the protection applies only to hiring decisions grounded in religious belief. The ruling does not permit discrimination on other bases and is limited to religious organizations, not to other entities such as businesses or hospitals affiliated with religious groups.
Trump Names Global Religious Freedom Advisor
Former congressman and Baptist minister Mark Walker has withdrawn his nomination to serve as ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom and instead accepted an appointment as principal advisor on Global Religious Freedom at the State Department.
President Trump nominated Walker last April for the ambassadorial post, but the Senate did not hold a confirmation hearing. Walker announced in January that he will take on the advisory role, which does not require Senate confirmation. In a statement, he said he plans to work with the administration to address religious persecution and promote religious freedom internationally.