Politicshuman rightsRefugees and Migration
A Theology of Smuggl...
In the crucible of the early 1980s, a profound and defiant alliance was forged in the dusty heart of Tucson, Arizona, one that would challenge the very conscience of a nation. The Sanctuary Movement was not merely a political campaign; it was a radical act of faith, a tangible expression of liberation theology where pews and pulpits became the front lines in a battle for human dignity.As the Reagan administration funneled arms and support to brutal regimes in Central America—particularly in El Salvador and Guatemala—it simultaneously slammed the door on the very refugees fleeing the resulting death squads and civil wars, labeling them ‘economic migrants’ undeserving of asylum. Into this moral vacuum stepped a coalition of activists, clergy, and ordinary citizens, predominantly from the Presbyterian, Catholic, and Quaker traditions, who saw a fundamental conflict between the laws of man and a higher, prophetic calling to shelter the stranger.This was a movement built not on abstract doctrine but on the visceral, harrowing testimonies of individuals like the Guatemalan mother who had seen her village massacred, for whom a church basement represented not just safety, but a sacred affirmation of their right to exist. The movement’s leaders, such as the Reverend John Fife and Jim Corbett, operated with the meticulousness of a political insurgency, creating an underground railroad that stretched from the southern border to churches across the United States and Canada, yet their motivation was deeply theological, rooted in the Old Testament concept of ‘cities of refuge’ and the New Testament injunction to welcome Christ in the guise of the marginalized.Their actions were a direct, public rebuke to a government they accused of being complicit in creating the violence from which these refugees fled, and the subsequent federal prosecutions of movement members in 1985 did not crush their spirit but instead put the U. S.immigration policy itself on trial, captivating the national media and forcing a public debate about the nation's soul. The legacy of this courageous collaboration is a enduring blueprint for faith-based activism, a precedent that echoes today in the work of groups accompanying migrants through the hostile deserts and challenging the policies of detention and deportation, reminding us that the most powerful political statements are often those whispered in prayer and enacted through the simple, dangerous act of offering sanctuary.
#Sanctuary Movement
#US-Mexico border
#activism
#religion
#refugees
#1980s
#featured
