{"id":1396,"date":"2017-03-29T07:00:42","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T12:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=1396"},"modified":"2017-03-27T13:48:51","modified_gmt":"2017-03-27T18:48:51","slug":"the-risks-of-raiding-sanctuary-churches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2017\/03\/29\/the-risks-of-raiding-sanctuary-churches\/","title":{"rendered":"The Risks of Raiding Sanctuary Churches"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Fibonacci Blue, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In response to the Trump administration\u2019s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, cities and universities all across the United States have declared themselves \u201csanctuaries\u201d from the threat of deportation. One aspect of this has been a <\/span>revival of the sanctuary church movement<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0Over <\/span>800 churches<\/span><\/a> nationwide have declared themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants who fear deportation since Trump took office. While it is technically illegal to harbor undocumented immigrants, immigration enforcement officials have <\/span>typically avoided<\/span><\/a> raiding \u201csensitive locations\u201d like churches and hospitals to avoid disrupting institutions that provide social services. Social science shows that protecting sensitive locations like churches is key to providing essential social services to marginalized populations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is not the first instance of religious institutions attempting to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation on moral grounds in the United States. In the 1980s, thousands of refugees fled political violence in Central America, many to the border states of Arizona and Texas. In response, hundreds of religious congregations declared themselves to be sanctuaries for Central American refugees. With the exception of a notable trial in Arizona in 1986 in which several activists were convicted for violating immigration law, most congregations suffered minimal, if any, legal reprisal for their efforts during this period.<\/span><\/h5>\n