Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States

Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States (1892) is a Supreme Court case that addressed whether U.S. immigration laws could restrict clergy from foreign countries entering to perform religious duties. The Court ruled that, based on a well-known English poem, it was historically recognized that certain foreign religious workers could be welcomed. Therefore, applying broad immigration restrictions to exclude religious leaders who came to serve their faith was unreasonable, and such laws could violate the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom. The case established that immigration laws should be interpreted in a way that respects religious practices and traditions.