“The Sanctuary Movement was a religious and political movement of approximately 500 congregations in the U.S. that helped Central American refugees by sheltering them from Immigration and Naturalization Service authorities. The movement flourished between 1982 and 1992. Various denominations were involved, including Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Jews, Unitarian Universalists, Quakers and Mennonites.” — Quote from Wikipedia
Christianity is not a monolithic movement; its sundry and diverse sects seldom agree on anything. Only a pure and spiritual goal, like providing sanctuary to undocumented workers, could unite the Roman Catholics, Baptists and Quakers.
There is a long and noble tradition in both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches of providing sanctuary to outsiders, social outcasts and undocumented workers.
“A Mexican woman who became a lightning rod for pro-immigration activists when she sought sanctuary in a Chicago church was arrested in Los Angeles and deported because she was a fugitive, the head of the local immigration enforcement office said Monday.” — Quote from the Associated Press
Elvira Arellano & Her Son - Saul
Elvira Arellano, 32, was taken into custody by ICE agents near La Placita Church in downtown Los Angeles and deported to Mexico.
The deportation of the woman who has become the face of undocumented workers was greeted with jubilation by xenophobes and racists
- We who believe in family values, are outraged that Elvira was separated from her son, Saul, 8, who is a U. S citizen.
- We who believe immigrants make a significant and positive contribution to America are saddened by the Gestapo tactics of ICE.
- We who believe that the strength of America is its rich cultural and ethnic diversity lament the brutal treatment of Elvira.
- We who believe the government should respect churches when they provide sanctuary to undocumented workers are incensed at the heavy-handed tactics of the federal government.
Elvira’s only “crime” was that she wanted to raise her American son in the greatest country in the world. ICE agents were not motivated by a desire to enforce the law, but by political considerations.
“According to the New Sanctuary Movement, at least 600,000 families in the United States have at least one member facing deportation because they are not legal residents.”
This quote from the Associated Press shows that Elvira’s situation is not unique; there is something wicked about a law that tears families apart.
Elvira’s deportation will embolden the immigrant rights movement into action. We will not allow the government to tear families apart; we will not keep silent. We demand that Congress pass a comprehensive immigrant plan that is family friendly and prohibits the deportation of undocumented parents.
References:
[2.] Convictions of the Heart: Jim Corbett and the Sanctuary Movement
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Because the United States supports the repressive regimes of El Salvador and Guatemala, the immigration service deports, to almost certain imprisonment or execution, political refugees from these countries, charges the author. In an engrossing history of private efforts to rescue these illegal aliens, in defiance of government policy, Davidson, a freelance writer, recounts the suffering that drives them to flee and to risk dangers in crossing our border and persecution by American authorities. She focuses on Quaker Jim Corbett, a retired rancher and cofounder of the Sanctuary Movement, who, despite crippling arthritis, has worked incessantly since 1980 to recruit rescue support and funds, and to establish what has become a national network of shelters among churches of all denominations. The movement’s activities led to the trial in 1986 of Corbett and seven other Sanctuary workers by an Arizona federal court whose convictions are under appeal. Sanctuary, writes Davidson, continues to operate underground on behalf of victims of the Central American wars. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In one of the most notable grassroots movements of this decade, first individuals and then groups and churches across the entire nation coordinated their efforts to provide refuge for Central Americans fleeing the conditions of their homelands. Both these books provide a sympathetic look at the sanctuary movement, from its origin in the early 1980s through the 1985-86 court trial that convicted many of its leaders of smuggling and harboring illegal aliens. The books are similar in scope, devoting nearly half their pages to the court trial. But while Davidson emphasizes the experience and convictions that moved Jim Corbett and other key figures to set up a modern-day ‘ ‘ Underground Railroad,” Crittenden only summarizes these influences, betraying at times an irritating ignorance of the American religious scene as she focuses on the movement’s legal and ethical aspects. Still, Crittenden’s broader analysis of the prosecution’s strategies and rationales results in a more even-handed treatment overalland tips the scales in her favor. Cynthia Widmer, Williamstown, Mass. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Sanctuary Movement
Elvira Arellano
Immigrant Rights Movement
Immigration Xenophobes and Racists
Undocumented Workers
ICE Immigration Raids
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
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