Church “street sanctuaries” try to shield immigrants from ICE raids under Trump

by Kathleen Caulderwood
Feb 24 2017, 10:17am

Churches have been sheltering people fleeing persecution for hundreds of years, and after President Trump’s moves to crack down on immigration, some congregations in the United States are giving the practice a 21st century update.

Immigration officials have a policy against arresting people inside “sensitive locations,” including churches, and this historically has made the buildings potential sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. But in the Trump era, undocumented immigrants are even more worried than usual, and some activist groups have responded by taking the concept of sanctuary beyond church walls.