A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
In past years, houses of worship across the United States have provided sanctuary to immigrants at risk of deportation. Now, the idea is that inside a church, someone is safer from federal immigration enforcement. But what is it really like to live in sanctuary, and how does a church decide to take someone in? Colorado Public Radio's Hayley Sanchez joins us now to explain. So, Hayley, we've heard the term sanctuary used a lot in recent years, but what does it actually mean in this context?
HAYLEY SANCHEZ, BYLINE: Sanctuary is this act of faith communities offering protection to individuals at risk of deportation, and it has deep historical roots. Gina Perez is a professor at Oberlin College in Ohio, and she wrote the book "Sanctuary People: Faith-Based Organizing In Latina/o Communities." She told me this practice dates back to ancient times when people sought refuge in religious spaces to escape state power. Now, in modern times, sanctuary isn't just about physically living inside of a church. It's this broader movement of legal aid, advocacy and community support. And when somebody does enter physical sanctuary, this is a drastic step usually seen as a last resort.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. Now, let's talk about Jeanette Vizguerra, who sought sanctuary three different times in Denver. What was sanctuary like?
SANCHEZ: Jeanette says it wasn't just about staying hidden. It was about continuing to fight.
JEANETTE VIZGUERRA: And this moment, the church is my home, but I'm continue organizing not only local and national level.
SANCHEZ: This kind of activism from inside sanctuary is why Vizguerra became such a public figure in this movement. Vizguerra also got emotional and cried a little when she reflected on her time inside the church, saying sanctuary was both a lifeline but a sacrifice. And she missed out on time with her kids. She told me she had to prepare mentally for this reality that she could be confined for weeks, months, maybe even years.
MARTÍNEZ: I mean, where did she sleep and how did she get groceries or even, like, take her kids to school?
SANCHEZ: Yeah, so the church gave her a room. It's not like she was sleeping in church pews or a cot. And the third time she went into sanctuary, she actually brought her own furniture, even her own bed.
MARTÍNEZ: Wow.
SANCHEZ: So she said she relied on friends and volunteers. They would pick her groceries up, her medicines. One time, she told me about a time that she posted on Facebook, tacos, and a friend called her and brought her some...
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
SANCHEZ: ...Straight to the church. Technology was one thing that was instrumental to her.
VIZGUERRA: Sometimes call my kids, you remember tomorrow need wake up for the school. What happened in your day? And everything. My phone is my ally for watch my kids.
SANCHEZ: She says her four kids lived outside of the church, and they would come to visit her inside the church on the weekends. The other thing Vizguerra had to keep in mind was she had to have a plan A, a plan B and even C, just in case something didn't work out. There were a few times when she had to leave the church, and she laughed a bit when she said she had sort of an entourage to ensure her safety.
VIZGUERRA: Sometimes, almost eight person around me. (Laughter) It's funny as they - oh, my God, I'm similar one artist or one politic person have very much walks around me (laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, definitely sounds like an entourage. But, Hayley, churches. So what makes churches such a central place for sanctuary in the United States?
SANCHEZ: So churches have historically been seen as these sensitive locations, places ICE agents have been reluctant to enter despite there being no law forbidding it. And that's where this faith-driven justice kind of gets its power from, this authority of God and people's belief in that. Many religious communities also believe in welcoming the stranger. So for them, offering sanctuary is this moral obligation. It's just not that simple, though, as just opening up their doors. Perez, the professor, she told me that before a church can take someone in, it's a long process - congregations discuss whether they have the resources and commitment to follow through.
GINA PEREZ: That church, that congregation goes through a discernment process, where members of the congregation would have conversations about what is their ethical and religious obligations, you know, what do they feel equipped to do - right? - because there are certain things that you have to set in place and put in place in order to be able to have someone live in your church facilities for long periods of time.
SANCHEZ: So sanctuary isn't just about one person seeking refuge, and the responsibility doesn't just fall on one pastor, one specific faith leader. It's about the whole church community stepping up to provide food, legal aid and emotional support to someone. And it's a huge responsibility, which is why many churches think really carefully before making that commitment.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. What's the reality of sanctuary today? I mean, is it still a viable option?
SANCHEZ: It's complicated. I mean, there isn't much data that tracks this, but anecdotally, under Trump's first administration, the sanctuary movement expanded. And now it appears ICE has been given the authority to be more aggressive, ignoring past policies that made churches off-limits. The sanctuary movement hasn't disappeared entirely, but the reality is the sanctuary has never been a long-term solution. And for people like Vizguerra, it was the only option they had to stay with their families.
MARTÍNEZ: That's Colorado Public Radio's Hayley Sanchez. Thanks a lot.
SANCHEZ: Thank you.
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