Churches Offer Sanctuary to Immigrants in Danger of Deportation

Wall Street Journal

By Miriam Jordan

September 10, 2014

Churches Offer Sanctuary to Immigrants in Danger of Deportation 

Some religious congregations are offering sanctuary to illegal immigrants facing deportation, following President Barack Obama's decision to delay an executive action that would possibly have staved off their removal from the U.S.

Five Denver-area churches on Wednesday announced a coalition to give shelter to individuals they believe would be spared deportation if Congress were to pass an immigration overhaul, or if Mr. Obama acted to offer them a reprieve.

Churches in Chicago and Arizona have recently taken in undocumented immigrants, and congregations in other cities also are preparing to offer shelter, leaders say.

"The inaction of both the Obama administration and Congress has led faith communities to take this major step to provide sanctuary to immigrant folks who need it," said Anne Dunlap, pastor of Chadash Community United Church of Christ in Aurora, Colo., who helped form the Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition.

A White House official said: "The president is determined to act on immigration before the end of the year and committed to sensible, effective immigration enforcement."

Immigration agents generally don't arrest individuals in so-called sensitive locations, such as churches and schools. Unless a dangerous felon or terrorist is present, enforcement action requires approval from a senior official of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesman for the agency said.

The campaign comes after Mr. Obama said Saturday he planned to postpone executive action on immigration until after the midterm elections. His action was expected to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

U.S. law doesn't prohibit law enforcement from entering places of worship, but church groups say they are confident that won't occur. Providing sanctuary is an American tradition, they say. Some churches sheltered blacks escaping slavery and draftees who didn't want to serve in the Vietnam War.

In the 1980s, churches housed Central Americans fleeing civil wars, and in 2007, during the George W. Bush administration, they launched a sanctuary movement amid a stalemate in Congress over offering a path to legal status for about 11 million undocumented immigrants.

"We're seeing a resurgence of the sanctuary movement," said Rev. Noel Andersen, grass-roots coordinator for Church World Service, which encompasses congregations of 37 Christian denominations involved in the campaign.

As the undocumented population has tilted toward long-term residents, many people in the country illegally have children who are U.S. citizens. Critics say many undocumented immigrants have children in hopes of being allowed to remain in the country.

"Having U.S.-born children doesn't exempt anyone from compliance with the law," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which lobbies for curbing illegal immigration. "These parents have the option to take their children with them if they are deported."

In Chicago on Tuesday, Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission gave sanctuary to Beatriz Ramirez and her two U.S.-born children. Ms. Ramirez received shelter there "because the likelihood of her deportation was looming ever closer," said Father Jose Landaverde.

In the Phoenix area, at least two immigrants have received sanctuary in churches. A local rabbi, John Linder, participated in the ceremony in which Luis Lopez Acabal was received by University Presbyterian Church, and reform rabbis have been making calls to ICE, requesting that the agency grant him a stay.

The Guatemalan immigrant came to the U.S. as a teenager. He was placed in removal proceedings after he was stopped by police in 2007 and couldn't produce a U.S. driver's license. "I feel safe here," said Mr. Lopez, 24, who said his application for a reprieve has been denied twice.

In Tucson, Rosa Robles Loreto, 41, has been living in Southside Presbyterian Church since receiving a final deportation order. The housekeeper said she landed in deportation after committing a traffic infraction four years ago. She has no criminal record, she says, and hopes immigration will close her case, which is being handled by an immigration attorney.

Another immigrant, Daniel Neyoy Ruiz, spent three weeks at the same church in the spring until U.S. authorities granted him a one-year deportation stay.

Ms. Robles passes the hours praying, scouring the internet for developments on her case and tidying the church. "I miss my children and my routine," she said.

For more information, go to:  www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com