Court cases involving Twin Cities churches and immigration enforcement highlight how the debate over federal immigration policies continues to affect faith communities more than six months after a federal surge in Minnesota. In one case, a Minneapolis Baptist church, along with congregations across the country, requested the government be reprimanded after alleged spying on protest-related activity on its property. In another, more than three dozen protesters have asked for their charges to be dismissed after they disrupted a worship service in a St. Paul church where one of the pastors was also a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official. Even congregations not involved in the court cases say they are still feeling the repercussions of the weekslong surge in immigration operations last winter. Protesters confronted federal law enforcement daily during that period, and the killing of two protesters sparked global outcry. Immigration agents are no longer visibly active on the same residential block as Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. However, its pastor says the signs that went up in January stating "Everyone is welcome here! Except I.C.E." have remained. "I don't foresee a time when they will come down. We want our building to remain a sanctuary for many people," said the Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen. Her church provided whistles, which protesters across the city used to alert neighbors about law enforcement presence. For decades, congregations have been on the front lines of providing for immigrants and refugees, whether in their faith communities or through outreach ranging from food distribution at the U.S.-Mexico border to advocacy in Washington. As part of its crackdown on illegal immigration, the Trump administration gave agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship. In response, dozens of religious groups sued, marking a more openly adversarial relationship between many faith leaders and federal authorities. This tension has continued through surges last fall and winter, with faith leaders arrested during anti-enforcement protests and suing to make pastoral visits to detained migrants. Both Minnesota court cases center on the idea of protecting a sacred space and people's right to worship — in one case from government intrusion and in the other, from people protesting the immigration crackdown. In mid-August, court documents emerged in a separate case involving 15 people charged by federal prosecutors with impeding the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. The documents revealed that federal agents had conducted an undercover surveillance operation targeting groups leading protests earlier this year. The government says its operation didn't violate an injunction against immigration enforcement because it was investigating a suspect for training "individuals to commit acts of violence against federal officers and employees." A hearing was held in September, and a ruling is pending. Faith leaders across the Twin Cities say they're still dealing with fallout from the surge, whether it's lingering fear among migrants, tensions over government surveillance, or persistent financial assistance requests. Many congregants wonder who else was under federal surveillance, said the Rev. Mariah Furness Tollgaard, senior pastor at Hamline Church in St. Paul. She was briefly detained at an anti-deportations protest at the Minneapolis airport in January. Several Protestant congregations that were outspoken in their anti-immigration-enforcement stances have increased their security measures. While many remain committed to their advocacy, it's taking a toll. "The general vibe we get from leaders and congregations is just tired — there's weariness more than anything," said Nicholas Tangen of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Minneapolis Area Synod.