While Catholic churches continue to face problems with vandalism and arson, two incidents at Catholic facilities stand out in particular. The Trump administration seems to acknowledge the good work that religious groups do in some of its executive orders (see Section IV of this report). 2024); Crosspoint Church v. Makin, No. 2025); see also Union Gospel Mission of Yakima v. Brown, 162 F.4th 1190, 1201-08 (9th Cir. 2026) (applying church autonomy doctrine to protect religiously motivated hiring decisions by religious employers).

Source: New York Times February 24, 2026 14:08 UTC