Published: 04.02.2007
Phoenix churches may revive sanctuary
By DANIEL GONZÁLEZ
The Arizona Republic
Several Phoenix congregations are considering sheltering illegal immigrants and their families as part of a new sanctuary movement started nationwide in response to a rise in deportations and work raids by the federal government.

Other faith-based groups plan to hold educational forums and other activities to press for immigration law changes as part of the movement.

"We are diminishing ourselves when we stand by and watch (deportations) happen to others and do nothing," said the Rev. Trina Zelle.

She is coordinating the movement in Arizona as part of Interfaith Worker Justice.

She declined to name the congregations or say how many plan to participate until final commitments are made.

There is a distinction between today's illegal immigrants, most of whom came to the U.S. for economic reasons, and the Central Americans fleeing death squads, torture and civil war in the 1980s, said John Fife, retired pastor of Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson.

The church was the first to offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants from El Salvador in 1981, which launched a movement that eventually provided shelter to thousands of Central Americans in over 500 churches and synagogues nationwide.

The role of the church, however, is the same, Fife said.

"With hard-working poor people under threat of their families being separated, the responsibility of the church to protect them and keep them intact is very critical right now," Fife said.

He said no churches in Tucson have signed up for the effort, but that he and other religious leaders in the community plan to watch the movement closely.

'With hard-working poor people under threat of their families being separated, the responsibility of the church to protect them and keep them intact is very critical right now.'

Citizen Staff Writer Claudine LoMonaco contributed to this article.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/46798.php