ICE has been freed to make arrests at churches. More immigrants took sanctuary in Philadelphia than anywhere else.
More than a dozen migrants took sanctuary inside Philadelphia churches during the first Trump administration, the most of any city in the country, blocking their deportations by putting themselves beyond the reach of ICE agents.
Agency policy deemed houses of worship off limits, except in extraordinary circumstances.
Now that protection is gone. A new Trump administration directive on “sensitive locations” eliminated the restraints that kept federal agents from entering churches, schools and hospitals in what Homeland Security said was a move to keep American citizens safe.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia activists who helped shelter undocumented immigrants in churches in Germantown, University City and North Philadelphia pledged fresh resistance, pointing out that a knock on the door does not automatically require an answer.
“It feels like emotional warfare, that this is really the aim, an attempt to take away every last safe space,” said Peter Pedemonti, co-director of New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, whose members include 33 churches in the region. “Congregations are not just safe spaces, those are sacred spaces. This feels like a desecration.”
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/ice-churches-raids-sanctuary-cities-philadelphia-sensitive-locations-20250122.html
I have a sneaking hunch that Quakers and Mennonites, and possibly UCC and Episcopalians, will not comply, similar to their actions in the Civil War.
(PS: I have no idea if this article is behind a paywall. Apologies if it is)
= new reply since forum marked as read
