Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission (Decided June 5, 2025)

In a unanimous 9–0 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin violated the First Amendment by denying Catholic Charities Bureau a tax exemption granted to other religious organizations.

The state had argued that the charity’s services were too secular to qualify, as they did not proselytize or serve only Catholics. Justice Sonia Sotomayor emphasized that the state’s actions showed favoritism to more overtly religious organizations, which is impermissible under the First Amendment.

The ruling allows Catholic Charities to opt out of state unemployment programs in favor of church-operated ones and may have broader implications for religious organizations across the U.S.