WICHITA — Two churches in Kansas say they’ll protect immigrants facing deportation even if it means arrest.
The Wichita Eagle reports that Newton’s Shalom Mennonite Church and Moundridge’s First Mennonite Church are two of a growing number of churches nationwide that have joined the sanctuary movement. Those churches have pledged to offer sanctuary to immigrants who live in the U.S. illegally and face the threat of deportation.
Some churches have opposed the sanctuary movement, saying religious spaces have no legal authority to protect immigrants or that it’s immoral to harbor people in the U.S. illegally.
Pastors at Shalom and First Mennonite say they wouldn’t try concealing their housing someone, but understand there could still be consequences.
Both churches will undergo renovations to create spaces for immigrant families to live while they work on their legal cases.
