Sanctuary Seekers

Who would a sanctuary congregation host?

Someone who might seek sanctuary is a person at risk of deportation who has strong ties to this community (longtime resident, a family, job, school, business here) and/or who faces extreme danger in returning to their country of origin and who needs more time to carry out their legal avenues to halting their deportation. This includes longtime residents, refugees, and asylum seekers (these categories can get blurry).

Identifying a person could go like this: Washtenaw Congregational Sanctuary would learn that someone in Washtenaw County who has been fighting their deportation is interested in going into sanctuary. They would verify that the person has a compelling story and a legal avenue to pursue. WCS would contact any congregations in the county that have offered to host someone in sanctuary and that have notified WCS that they are logistically prepared. The candidate, along with an advocate from WCS, would have conversation(s) with representatives of the congregation about sanctuary, including what it means to everyone involved, what accommodations the congregation can provide, and what the candidate's needs are. If the candidate, the congregation, WCS, and any other stake holders (for AAFM, Quaker House residents), all agree to move forward, then the candidate would move into sanctuary. They would notify immigration enforcement of where they are. The sanctuary guest, congregation, WCS, supporting congregations, and other supporting organizations (ICPJ, WICIR) would then focus their efforts on supporting the guest in trying to win a legal stay of their deportation and permission to remain in their community. The host congregation is offering sanctuary - the guest may choose to leave at any time. The host congregation and guest would have regular check-ins about everyone's needs and expectations for the future.