More and more churches around the country are housing undocumented immigrants who are threatened with deportation in sanctuary around the country. That’s according to a new report from Church World Service, a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations that’s helped coordinate a national effort to push back against deportations and family separation.

We speak with the Rev. Noel Andersen more about this. He’s a reverend in the United Church of Christ and national grass-roots coordinator for Church World Service.

And, he said, this national sanctuary movement has grown a lot in response to the Trump administration. It started as soon as the election took place last year.

Now, across the country there are 40 states — including Arizona — with networks devoted to helping those in sanctuary and more than 1.100 houses of worship participating.

And, according to the report, there are currently 36 people in public sanctuary around the country right now.



