Conflicts Between Immigration Sweeps and Religious Freedom

Seeking sanctuary at a church would not have offered as much shelter as you might assume. Many of us are familiar — thanks to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" — with the concept of taking refuge in a place of worship as a way to avoid civil authorities. While this was a doctrine that existed in some places in the past, it was never instituted by American colonists and it is not the case now that someone hoping to avoid arrest can be assured of protection in a house of worship. (Nor is it the case that so-called "sanctuary cities" offer protection from detention by federal immigration authorities, as recent raids have made clear.)