Learn About the Sanctuary Resolution
There was a special meeting of the congregation on Sunday April 9th after the service to discuss and vote on becoming a “sanctuary”. The congregation voted yes!
The Board of Trustees proposed that our congregation adopt this resolution to state its commitment to helping provide places of refuge for undocumented immigrants at risk of harsh deportation measures.
The Sanctuary Resolution
Adopted by the Board of Trustees on February 19, 2017. Adopted by the Congregation on April 9, 2017
As anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies threaten, through the promise of harsh and haphazard mass deportations, the safety and dignity of undocumented people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton joins many congregations of many faiths in moral opposition to these harmful plans and practices.
We do this as an expression of our faith; one that believes in the interconnectedness of everyone in the human family. We do this because we stand against fear and we believe in embracing our common humanity, practicing radical hospitality, and seeking greater understanding. We do this to promote diversity and inclusivity and seek the creation of more and more communities of mutual love and support. Beloved communities must welcome and protect people, and our faith demands that we provide refuge, however we can, for the vulnerable or helpless.
We, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, therefore declare ourselves to be a Sanctuary Congregation. With this action, we promise to support congregations serving as physical sanctuary sites for undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation. We also promise to advocate for the principles of the Sanctuary movement locally and nationally. Lastly, we also promise to serve as a physical sanctuary site should the current administration engage in unjust immigration enforcement and should our Executive Team determine that our congregation has the space and resources to serve as such a site.
It is our hope that these actions will not only serve undocumented people but will discourage the use of harsh deportation measures.
The Executive Team of the Congregation will create a Sanctuary Task Force of lay leaders and staff, with Board representation, to engage the congregation in these promises and to inform the congregation of progress in moving toward serving as a physical Sanctuary site. The Executive Team will keep the Board apprised of progress in all areas.
In declaring ourselves to be a Sanctuary Congregation, we are acting in accordance with the guidance, wisdom, and prophecy of our faith. We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of each person. We believe that we are all connected. We believe that justice and compassion should guide all human relations. And we proclaim the vision of a future world in which peace, liberty, and dignity are afforded all people, without exception.
Background – Some Frequently Asked Questions
A committee of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Team have some information to help us understand the sanctuary concept.
There are three possible roles for UU Princeton as a sanctuary congregation:
- To support congregations serving as physical sanctuary sites for undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation.
- To advocate for the principles of the Sanctuary movement locally and nationally.
- To serve as a physical sanctuary site should the current administration engage in unjust immigration enforcement and should our Executive Team determine that our congregation has the space and resources to serve as such a site.
It is our hope that these actions will not only serve undocumented people but will also discourage the use of harsh deportation measures.
As the resolution passed, the Executive Team will create a Sanctuary Task Force of lay leaders and staff, with Board representation, to engage the congregation in these promises and to inform the congregation of progress in moving toward serving as a physical Sanctuary site. The Executive Team will keep the Board apprised of progress in all areas.
You can read the sanctuary FAQs below or print/open this pdf file.
I. Advocating for Sanctuary
Q1: Will the congregation be engaging in advocacy efforts for a just immigration policy, in addition to acting as a sanctuary?
A1: Yes, it is one of the three elements in the proposed resolution: continued advocacy, support for other congregations able to offer physical sanctuary, and, once the Executive Team is confident we are equipped to offer sanctuary and the current Administration is unjust in its enforcement, offering physical sanctuary ourselves. The UUCP Sanctuary Task Force would take the lead on this, in coordination with the UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey’s Immigration Reform task force.
II. Providing Support for Sanctuary
Q1: Is it likely that we could collaborate with other Princeton area churches in hosting one or more immigrants? With other churches elsewhere in the country?
A1: It is possible. Right now, several Princeton churches have declared their support for houses of worship to provide sanctuary, but none has yet decided that it is ready and willing to do so. If we house an immigrant, there’s a good chance that we would get support from a number of other Princeton churches. We will also be exploring opportunities to support another church or congregation that is offering physical sanctuary, especially during the period before our renovations are completed and before we are able to offer physical sanctuary.
Q2: Would support be available from the UUA? If so, what kind?
A2: It depends on what we would need. We are already receiving technical assistance and advice from the UUA and other UU congregations that have experience in housing immigrants. We would probably not get direct financial support. In the unlikely event that something bad happened, we would expect a very large amount of support from the UUA Trauma Ministry program.
Q3: How might the congregation work with immigrants’ rights organizations in this effort?
A3: We expect to establish a relationship with LALDEF, the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, active in Princeton and Trenton. LALDEF would probably be aware of persons who are vulnerable for deportation, and they might well reach out to UUCP if one of their clients were targeted. That is one of the ways we would likely learn of persons needing sanctuary.
III. Issues to Address When Discerning Whether and How to Offer Physical Sanctuary
Q1: What is the basic rationale for the congregation to offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants? Isn’t it the case that such immigrants have broken the law? Why should we, as a church, take this action?
A1: There are a number of ways to answer this question, and we will be exploring them in our information sessions. Here’s one: In preparing for the upcoming congregational vote on whether the congregation should become a sanctuary congregation, the Board adopted the following statement of principle:
The congregation accepts the right of any country to have and enforce immigration laws. We also accept that any undocumented immigrant who is justly convicted of a serious crime has no claim to remain in the country.
Nevertheless, as Unitarian Universalists, we believe in the dignity of each person, regardless of the happenstance of where they were born. Millions of people have immigrated to the United States outside of the legal process for the purpose of escaping poverty, dictatorial regimes, and/or the lack of basic human rights in the place of their birth. These individuals, many of whom have lived in this country for years and have contributed much to it, deserve humane treatment and a pathway to eventual legal residence or citizenship.
If the government were to adopt certain types of cruel and unjust enforcement measures, it would be inconsistent with the inherent dignity of the individual–a fundamental principle of our faith. At that point, our faith would call us to take peaceful and appropriate action in response.
Q2: The proposed congregational resolution says we will serve as a physical sanctuary site should the current administration engage in unjust immigration enforcement. What would we consider to be “unjust immigration enforcement”?
A2: The congregation’s Board of Trustees has proposed that the following would constitute
unjust enforcement measures that are inconsistent with congregational values:
1. Mass roundups of individuals living in the United States for the purpose of deporting those who lack adequate documentation.
2. Racial profiling directed at identifying immigrants without documentation.
3. Spying or other breaches of privacy directed against individuals for the purpose of immigration enforcement.
4. Immigration enforcement measures that lack fundamental due process.
Q3: When and how does offering sanctuary start and end?
A3: The first step in the process is a congregational vote authorizing the congregation to be a sanctuary congregation if the Executive Team determines that unjust enforcement (as defined above) has commenced and that our congregation has the practical ability (space, resources, etc.) to serve as such a site.
Physical sanctuary would start when an immigrant takes up protective residence in the building. Sanctuary for a particular immigrant would end when the government rules favorably on the immigration case, when the person in sanctuary decides they no longer need or want to be in sanctuary, or when the guest permanently leaves the physical sanctuary of the congregation for any other reason. Unfortunately, there is no way to know how quickly a Sanctuary case will be resolved, and as such we must be prepared for sanctuary to last as long as needed.
Q4. What happens if the person in sanctuary loses their case?
A4: It is proposed that the UUCP offer sanctuary only to immigrants who have a winnable case, based upon input from organizations such as LALDEF, the UUA, etc. That said, there is no guarantee that any case will have a positive outcome. If at some point, it becomes apparent that there will not be a satisfactory determination on their case, or if the person in sanctuary decides that being in sanctuary is no longer a viable or worthwhile option, the congregation’s Executive Team would decide when and how to end the stay.
Q5. Under what circumstances does a person need typically need sanctuary?
A5: Generally, people enter sanctuary because they have received a final order of deportation but believe that they have a legitimate case that either has not been thoroughly presented or appropriately argued before an immigration judge, and/or their immigration attorney believes they may be eligible for prosecutorial discretion. Often there are extenuating circumstances that could or should have been raised in their defense of deportation but were not, due to expedited rulings, lack of or inadequate counsel, etc.
Q6. How would we find out that there is a person who needs sanctuary?
A6: We would most likely become aware of a person needing sanctuary through a community organization like LALDEF or from the attorney handling the legal case. Once a final order of deportation is issued, one of those two would reach out to possible sanctuary sites if they all agreed the particular case is winnable and otherwise appropriate for sanctuary.
Q7: How do we decide if we want a specific person to come into sanctuary? How would they be vetted?
A7: When we are notified of a person in need of sanctuary, the Executive Team (aided by our Sanctuary task force) will need to respond quickly, and reach out to the requesting party (immigration attorney, community or grassroots group, etc.) to get as much information about the person seeking sanctuary and their immigration case as possible. That information is what the Executive Team will use to determine whether the congregation is willing to provide a safe refuge for this particular person.
Q8: How many immigrants would the congregation propose to house?
A8: Probably just one person, or at the most one person and her/his children if there is nowhere else for a single parent to give the children.
Q9. What if we take someone into sanctuary and later decide it isn’t working out?
A9: In the same vein that declaring sanctuary doesn’t demand that a congregation accept every and any person requesting sanctuary, neither does accepting a person into sanctuary mean that under every circumstance they person must stay in sanctuary in your church even if it isn’t working. That said, the act of going into sanctuary is often in direct defiance of an order of deportation or an imminent order of deportation, so the person in sanctuary is in an even more vulnerable position after entering sanctuary. There would need to be a very serious, and impassable problem before the Executive Team would decide to terminate sanctuary for a person. In that scenario, the congregation would work with UURISE, other congregations and immigrant rights organizations to try to find a new sanctuary placement and develop a plan for the safest possible transfer of the person from one sanctuary location to another.
Q10. What if the person wants to leave sanctuary?
A10: Sanctuary is analogous to house arrest, and there is nothing about it that is easy. It requires a lot of courage, faith, and sacrifice for the person entering sanctuary. If at any point that they determine that they want to do something else, that decision should be honored. Is it always up to the person in sanctuary to determine if it is successful, necessary, and worth the sacrifice.
Q11: What are the practical considerations about housing people on the church property?
A11: The proposed resolution says that we will only serve as a physical sanctuary site should our Executive Team determine that our congregation has the space and resources to serve as such a site. The congregation will begin major renovations in June of this year, which are expected to run through spring of 2018. During that period, we will lose access to much of our space, so we are unlikely to be able to offer physical sanctuary until mid-2018. At that point, after the renovations, we expect to have a shower and enough private space to support the person/people in sanctuary.
Q12: Would there be an impact on church activities?
A12: Some details might need to be worked out depending on a specific situation, but generally the main impact would be on activities that would otherwise be in the same space, i.e., the specific room that the guest would use or the kitchen at the time the guest is preparing a meal. The more indirect impact, though, would be that we would always be aware that a guest is in our building, needing support to be able to get by in trying circumstances.
Q13: What about the Cherry Hill Nursery School at our church?
A13: Prior to deciding whether or not to offer physical sanctuary, the Executive Team will work with the Cherry Hill school regarding any concerns they have about their license, the movement of the students in the school, the activity of the guest, and any possible interaction between them.
Q14: Can the person in sanctuary leave to go shopping? To the doctor? To work?
A14: No. Once someone enters sanctuary, they must stay in sanctuary either until they receive a positive outcome on their immigration case, they decide they no longer need/want sanctuary, or an emergency requires them to forfeit the safety of sanctuary. It is important to remember that by entering sanctuary, they have chosen to defy orders of ICE to leave the US, so once they have defied those orders, they must remain in the protective space. It is often helpful to think of sanctuary as a form of “house arrest” or non-prison detention. The congregation might need to identify a sympathetic physician, nurse practitioner or other medical provider, or a health clinic willing to do “house calls” as needed for non-emergency issues. If there is a medical emergency where the sanctuary guest’s life is in danger, then emergency treatment must be sought, unless the guest chooses to deny medical care.
Q15: Who “pays” for the person in sanctuary?
A15: Expenses for food, clothing, laundry, medical, etc. in general will need to be covered by the congregation as the host . Other congregations that are willing to provide support to sanctuary congregations, may well provide financial support. Fundraisers, crowdfunding, and grants for justice work could be explored as ways to defray costs and lessen the drain on the congregation’s resources.
Q16: What stops ICE, Border Patrol or local law enforcement from coming in and arresting someone in sanctuary? Could the congregation be at legal risk?
A16: Faith communities (churches, temples, mosques, etc.) are one of the enumerated “sensitive locations” identified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as locations where immigration enforcement actions (interview, arrest, searches, and surveillance) should not occur. It is important to note that this is DHS policy, and not law. The longstanding policy was clarified in a DHS memo in 2011. It is unknown if the DHS will change this policy in the future.
It is unlikely that there would be legal consequences for the congregation. Because sanctuary is most commonly provided in conjunction with a public declaration of who the person in Sanctuary is, and why they are being provided sanctuary, there is no intent to conceal. It is also important to note that no congregations have been prosecuted for providing sanctuary in the past forty years. That said, there is also no blanket legal protection for faith communities offering sanctuary.
Q17: Are there any issues with local zoning or other laws if the congregation is housing someone in sanctuary?
A17: The Executive Team plans to explore whether these issues present a problem. If so, it would inform the decision on whether the congregation has the practical ability to serve as a sanctuary, which is a pre-condition to actually bringing a person on site.
Q18: What if our insurance says they will drop us? Or deny coverage of anything related to providing sanctuary?
A18: The Executive Team will carefully examine the current insurance policy and work with the insurance company to work out appropriate liability coverage.
Resources
The Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice, in partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and UURISE, has provided a number of resources, including the Sanctuary Toolkit, February 2017, which provided a significant amount of the information included in these FAQs. See UUCSJ.org. Please note that this is a living document, subject to frequent revision. It is not intended to provide legal advice.
