{"id":161381,"date":"2026-04-09T12:51:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/161381\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T12:51:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:51:13","slug":"philadelphias-40-year-history-of-protecting-undocumented-immigrants-began-with-churches-hiding-refugees-from-el-salvador-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/161381\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia\u2019s 40\u2011year history of protecting undocumented immigrants began with churches hiding refugees from El Salvador | Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nSupporters visit Javier Flores, right, while he lived
\nin sanctuary at Arch Street United Methodist Church in downtown
\nPhiladelphia in 2017.
\nBastiaan Slabbers\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

Menika
\nDirkson<\/a>,
\nMorgan State University<\/a><\/p>\n

In the midst of a civil war, married couple Ernesto and Linda
\nFuentes fled
\ntheir home country of El Salvador<\/a> and headed for Philadelphia,
\nvia Mexico, in November 1983.<\/p>\n

Ernesto was an activist who dispensed food and medicine in
\nSalvadoran
\nrefugee camps<\/a>. Linda was a union organizer for banks and
\nclothing factories.<\/p>\n

The Salvadoran government viewed activists, especially suspected
\nguerrilla fighters and union leaders, as threats to its regime. It
\nplaced activists\u2019 names on \u201cdeath
\nsquad hit lists<\/a>.\u201d The couple decided to leave after receiving
\nthreatening letters and phone calls.<\/p>\n

With false documents and the help of a humanitarian church
\ngroup, they arrived at the Tabernacle United Church in West
\nPhiladelphia on May 12, 1984. The congregation
\ndeclared itself a public sanctuary<\/a> for undocumented refugees
\nfrom El Salvador and Guatemala. An estimated 500,000 undocumented
\nSalvadorans<\/a> lived in the U.S. around that time.<\/p>\n

The Fuenteses used the pastor\u2019s
\noffice as their bedroom<\/a>. Church members were instructed to keep
\nthe doors locked and not admit strangers, including the Immigration
\nand Naturalization Service.<\/p>\n

As a historian of
\nrace and policing in Philadelphia<\/a> after the Civil Rights
\nMovement, and the daughter of an immigrant, I\u2019ve been exploring
\n
\nPhilly\u2019s history of sanctuary<\/a> and how religious
\ncongregations<\/a>,
\nactivists<\/a> and city officials have supported local refugees over
\nthe past 40 years.<\/p>\n

\"Four
\nAccompanied by elected officials,
\nclergy and community activists, the four undocumented children of
\nCarmela Apolonio Hern\u00e1ndez step out of sanctuary at the Church of
\nthe Advocate in North Philadelphia in 2018.
\nBastiaan Slabbers\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

A \u2018welcoming city\u2019 for immigrants<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has emphasized since May 2025
\nthat Philadelphia is a certified \u201cwelcoming
\ncity<\/a>.\u201d She notably does not call Philadelphia a \u201csanctuary
\ncity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welcoming cities have
\nimmigrant-friendly initiatives<\/a> that make education, housing,
\nworkers\u2019 rights, legal aid and language services
\naccessible to immigrants and refugees<\/a> without using the term
\n\u201csanctuary
\ncity<\/a>\u201d in their laws and policies.<\/p>\n

The presumed goal of this phrasing is to keep Philadelphia off
\nthe Trump administration\u2019s radar and protect its
\nUS$2.2 billion in federal funding<\/a> for health and human
\nservices.<\/p>\n

However, Philly was, at various points, an official sanctuary
\ncity.<\/p>\n

In 2014, then-Mayor Michael Nutter signed an
\nexecutive order<\/a> detailing that local police were not required
\nto assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless the case
\ninvolved a warrant or violent felon.<\/p>\n

Nutter later rescinded Philadelphia\u2019s sanctuary city status in
\nan effort to
\ndissuade congressional Republicans from passing a House bill<\/a>
\nthat would deny sanctuary cities federal money earmarked for law
\nenforcement and recidivism reduction. However, the next mayor, Jim
\nKenney,
\nreinstated the order<\/a> on Jan. 4, 2016.<\/p>\n

Throughout 2017, President Donald Trump and Attorney General
\nJeff Sessions used executive orders, speeches and the
\nimmigration raid Operation Safe City<\/a> to force Philadelphia
\nofficials to assist ICE
\nor lose federal grants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 2018, Philadelphia won a lawsuit against the Trump
\nadministration that denied ICE access to
\npolice databases<\/a> to find undocumented immigrants and prohibited
\ncity employees from assisting ICE.<\/p>\n

\"Young
\nProtesters camped outside
\nPhiladelphia City Hall march in July 2018 after Mayor Jim Kenney
\nannounced that Philadelphia would stop giving ICE access to a
\nreal-time arrest database. Kenney accused the agency of misusing
\nthe information to target people who were in the country illegally
\nbut were otherwise not accused of any crimes.
\nAP Photo\/Jacqueline Larma<\/a><\/p>\n

Roots of sanctuary cities<\/p>\n

The sanctuary movement started back in the 1960s. But it wasn\u2019t
\nimmigrants who were seeking sanctuary. It was Americans.<\/p>\n

Around 1968,
\ndrafted resisters<\/a> who were opposed to fighting in the Vietnam
\nWar sought refuge in churches in the U.S. Northeast. One of the
\nearliest cases involved
\nRobert Talmanson<\/a>, who received sanctuary in Boston\u2019s Arlington
\nStreet Unitarian Church. He was later arrested by U.S. marshals and
\nlocal police and incarcerated in Virginia for three years.<\/p>\n

In November 1971,
\nBerkeley, California<\/a>, became the first sanctuary city in the
\ncountry when
\n12 local churches<\/a> inspired the
\nCity Council to pass a resolution<\/a> offering sanctuary to draft
\nresisters. It also banned city employees from \u201cassisting in the
\ninvestigation or arrest of any sanctuary seeker.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the two decades that followed, several Quaker, Presbyterian,
\nCatholic and Jewish
\ncongregations across America and Canada<\/a> used their houses of
\nworship as sanctuaries for Central American refugees who were
\nfleeing civil war,
\ngovernment repression<\/a> and genocide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Philly joins national movement<\/p>\n

Frustration and outcry over the United States\u2019
\nlow acceptance rates of Central American asylum-seekers<\/a> sparked
\n
\nPhiladelphia\u2019s sanctuary movement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In January 1984, members of Tabernacle United Church, where the
\nFuentes couple would soon take refuge, voted to join the national sanctuary
\nnetwork<\/a>. As
\nthe Rev. James MacDonald explained<\/a> at the time, the
\ncongregation chose to \u201cviolate
\na human law<\/a> in order to respond in obedience to God\u2019s law.\u201d<\/p>\n

By May, the
\nFirst United Methodist Church of Germantown<\/a> also became a
\nsanctuary church. A few months later, the church sheltered a
\n
\nyoung Guatemalan couple, Joel and Gabriela<\/a>, and their
\n3-year-old daughter, Lucy.
\nJoel, an activist<\/a> who worked with unions and student groups,
\nhad been tortured by Guatemala City police.<\/p>\n

On Jan. 14, 1985,
\nINS staged nationwide raids of sanctuaries<\/a> and arrested 60
\nundocumented immigrants and 16 sanctuary workers \u2013 including
\npastors, nuns and priests \u2013 for violating immigration laws.
\n
\nJoel and his family were among those seized<\/a>. They were released
\nwhen church members bailed them out as they awaited deportation
\nhearings.<\/p>\n

A new pathway to citizenship<\/p>\n

By the mid-\u201980s, 42,000
\npeople<\/a> from
\n2,000 religious institutions<\/a> in 60 cities nationwide had joined
\nthe sanctuary movement.<\/p>\n

On Nov. 6, 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the
\nImmigration
\nReform and Control Act<\/a>. It granted undocumented immigrants who
\narrived in the U.S. before 1982 one year to apply for amnesty. If
\neligible, they would begin a five-year pathway to citizenship.<\/p>\n

Approximately
\n3 million people<\/a> successfully became naturalized citizens
\nthrough the amnesty program.<\/p>\n

In the Philadelphia area, at least 5,000 to 7,000 people were
\nundocumented in 1986. Advocates at the nonprofit Nationalities
\nService Center and American Friends Service Committee noted that
\nmany immigrants wanted to apply for amnesty but
\nfeared the program was a trick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A decade later, immigration enforcement got tougher.<\/p>\n

Local police assist ICE<\/p>\n

In 1996, Congress passed
\nSection 287(g)<\/a> of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This
\ngranted local police the right to
\nassist immigration officials<\/a> in arresting and detaining
\nunauthorized immigrants.<\/p>\n

As of April 2026, over 1,600 law enforcement agencies in 39
\nstates and two U.S. territories have a 287(g)
\nagreement with ICE<\/a>. The
\nprogram offers local police<\/a> free training in ICE procedures
\nalong with funding for equipment, vehicles and overtime pay.<\/p>\n

While the Philadelphia Police Department has never signed a
\nSection 287(g) agreement, about
\n68 Pennsylvania agencies<\/a> have, including in neighboring
\nDelaware County.<\/p>\n

But these agreements aren\u2019t always long-lasting. Between January
\nand March 2026, two departments in
\nBucks<\/a> and
\nChester<\/a> counties
\nrescinded<\/a> their agreements with ICE to make residents feel safe
\nafter American-born protesters Ren\u00e9e Good
\nand Alex Pretti<\/a> were killed during ICE operations in
\nMinneapolis.<\/p>\n

\"Man
\nAfter a 16-month detention,
\nJavier Flores, a father of three, went into sanctuary at Arch
\nStreet United Methodist Church in Philadelphia in 2016. He spent
\nnearly a year in sanctuary before his visa request was approved and
\nICE waived his previous removal orders.
\nBastiaan Slabbers\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

Community activism continues<\/p>\n

According to Pew Charitable Trusts,
\nnearly 16%<\/a> of Philadelphia\u2019s
\n1.6 million residents<\/a> are immigrants, largely from Asia and the
\nCaribbean.<\/p>\n

The exact number of undocumented immigrants in Philadelphia is
\nunknown. However, the Migration Policy Institute estimates that
\n
\n250,000 immigrants<\/a> in Pennsylvania \u2013
\n1.5% of the state\u2019s total population<\/a> \u2013 are undocumented.<\/p>\n

Since January 2025<\/a>,
\nICE crackdowns in sanctuary cities such as
\nLos Angeles<\/a>,
\nPortland<\/a>,
\nChicago<\/a> and
\nNew York<\/a> have resulted in the number of people held in ICE
\ndetention jumping from
\n40,000 to 73,000 people<\/a> in January 2026.<\/p>\n

Citizens and advocacy groups have stepped up to protect
\nimmigrants from ICE. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and the
\n
\nAR-12-toting members<\/a> of the
\nBlack Lion Party for International Solidarity<\/a> participated in
\nprotests
\nin Philadelphia<\/a>. Public school students from
\nNortheast<\/a> and
\nEdison<\/a> high schools have led
\nanti-ICE walkouts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Jan. 29, 2026, City Council members Kendra Brooks and Rue
\nLandau introduced an \u201cICE
\nOut\u201d package<\/a>. The bills aim to codify the right of police to
\nnot share immigration, citizenship and personal data with ICE, or
\ndetain and hand over arrested individuals to the federal
\nagency.<\/p>\n

The legislation also proposes a ban on ICE agents who wear masks
\nor hide their badges, use unmarked cars and city vehicles, or use
\nmunicipal spaces as staging areas for enforcement and raids. And it
\nwould prohibit city employees from giving ICE access to libraries,
\nshelters, health centers and recreation centers without a judicial
\nwarrant.<\/p>\n

Community activists have long used civil disobedience and
\nhumanitarian aid to protect undocumented immigrants who are
\nsearching for a fresh start in the U.S.<\/p>\n

An interfaith network inspired Philadelphia to become a
\nsanctuary city. Today, churches such as Center City\u2019s Arch Street United
\nMethodist Church<\/a> and North Philly\u2019s Church of the
\nAdvocate<\/a>,
\nalong with other congregations<\/a>, uphold this tradition while a
\nmulticultural community across the city continues that fight.<\/p>\n

Read more of our stories about Philadelphia
\nand Pennsylvania<\/a>, or sign up for our Philadelphia newsletter on Substack<\/a>.
\n\"The\n<\/p>\n

Menika
\nDirkson<\/a>, Associate Professor of History,
\nMorgan State University<\/a><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative
\nCommons license. Read the
\noriginal article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Supporters visit Javier Flores, right, while he lived in sanctuary at Arch Street United Methodist Church in downtown…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":122829,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[70305,1559,69,71,70],"class_list":["post-161381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-columns","tag-opinion","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}