Meral Agish

1 day ago | retroreport.org | Anne Checler |Scott Michels |Sarah Weiser |Meral Agish

Today’s debates over sanctuary cities have roots in the 1980s, when churches defied the law to shelter refugees fleeing civil wars in Guatemala and El Salvador. When the government refused to grant asylum to those escaping the violence, church leaders took matters into their own hands, smuggling families across the border, hiding them in churches and helping them resettle. Federal prosecutors launched undercover investigations, ultimately convicting eight sanctuary activists.