Churches have a long history of being safe havens — for immigrants and others

For centuries, houses of worship have served as havens for people needing refuge — and, in recent decades, sanctuary from the U.S. government.

Jan 26, 2025 - 12:57
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Churches have a long history of being safe havens — for immigrants and others
2007: Immigrant rights activist Elvira Arellano of Mexico defied a deportation order and took sanctuary for months in an apartment above the Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago. A new Trump administration policy no longer regards churches as "sensitive" areas where authorities should not pursue people in the country illegally. Arellano remains in the U.S.

For centuries, houses of worship have served as havens for people needing refuge — and, in recent decades, sanctuary from the U.S. government.

(Image credit: Jeff Haynes/AFP)