The Thompsons, originally from Jamaica, spent 843 days living in churches in Philadelphia to avoid deportation. Now they are free, but reentry comes with new challenges.
Naturally, transporting the whales — each about 13 feet long — was a huge logistical headache. Trainers have been preparing the belugas for the journey and for their new life in open water.
Immigration officials have a rule against detaining people who seek sanctuary in houses of worship. A congregation in Colorado is testing the strength of that tradition under the Trump administration.
A year ago, a Cincinnati mosque said it would be a sanctuary for asylum seekers — and backed out three weeks later. Now, mosques continue to explore ways to be involved in the sanctuary movement.
This week on the podcast, Adrian Florido tackles this debate: When immigrants facing deportation seek sanctuary, should they make their stories public? Do they decide or does the church?
As a response to immigration enforcement, religious communities are preparing to shelter people at risk of deportation. They're drawing on the ancient tradition of offering sanctuary for refugees.
In the wake of the presidential election, a number of cities and towns and college campuses have declared themselves sanctuary zones – places where people who are undocumented can feel safe, and se
