R&Sers: Should a church have the right to grant sanctuary for someone guilty of a crime in the USA?

Question

I'm trying not to make this a political issue, but recently, an illegal immigrant was arrested in Los Angeles after claiming sanctuary for the past year in a Chicago church. She was arrested for coming into this country illegally.

What she was trying to do, was to spread the message that illegal immigrants had a right to be in this country.

So again, my question is this: Does the church have the right ot grant sanctuary for those guilty of crimes in the USA?


The woman's name is Elvira Arellano. Go here for the story: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-elvira_web.1aug20,0,5377709.story

Also, do you support the government in arresting her?

Plus, she has an 8 year old son, who is a legal citizen of the USA.

Answer 1

not only no but hell no.

yes I support the government arresting her. I am sorry but my ancestors came here legally and she can do the same. What does it say about you when you claim to love a country when the very first thing you are doing is breaking the law?

Answer 2

Constitutionally, it's a minefield.
If sanctuary is a integral part of their faith, the Church should have to right to offer it, and the State shouldn't be able to violate that sanctuary (freedom of religion)

However Churches do not have the right to subvert the law of the land or interfere with the judicial process (separation of church and state).

On balance though, I think the answer should be "No" for two reasons:

1) In order for Churches to claim sanctuary as a Constitutionally protected religious practice, they must consistently and uniformly apply it to anyone who seeks it for whatever reason. They don't--only applying it to immigration issues, and specific cases at that--rendering it a political, rather than religious practice.

2) The purpose of Sanctuary was to protect people from abuses of the law. Since Due Process now prohibits such abuses, while Sanctuary does not prevent them, Due Process supercedes Sanctuary and renders it meaningless.

As to the specific case here, I think that although the government was well within its rights to arrest this woman, the fact that she has a minor child that is a legal citizen of the USA should allow her to stay there in some way. Breaking up families shouldn't be a priority of the government.

Answer 3

I think that her son, as a US citizen, has the right to be raised by his mother in his country. I do not support the government in arresting her and I can't find it in myself to say other people should not be allowed to come to this country.

However under NO circumstances do I think that the church is above the law.

Edit: The US allows legal immigration? That's a freaking JOKE. Anyone who believes that has no comprehension of how hard it is to get into America if you don't already have money.

Answer 4

No, in times past and in countries where the judicial system wasn't just, then it may have been a good thing. In America, while we may not like the judicial system, it is reasonably fair and the need for religious sanctuary is extremely limited.

While I'm sympathetic to people who want to live here, there are legal ways to go about it Being here illegally only places a drain on our support systems and while not helping to pay through taxes (as all the rest of us do).

Answer 5

It used to happen in the Middle Ages, but Barons and Lords got fed up of it and put restrictions on how long an outlaw can stay in a Church for. Interesting stuff.

I support your Government arresting her because she is an Illegal immigrant, but as she has a son who is a legal citizen then she should be allowed to stay to look after him.

Answer 6

Since I don't think a church is anything special (except for wasting money that could have been spent by the religious community helping people)....I would have had a problem with police kicking in the door and slapping cuffs on.

And the only way our manufacturing/agricultural sector will be able to compete globally is through immigration.

Answer 7

she is a criminal, she broke the law and should be arrested. the church was and is wrong and should also be prosecuted for harboring a criminal. the govt is correct and her son should not be a legal citizen since he was born to an foreigner in our country illegally. anyone who has a problem with this needs to learn the legal system and the laws of our country. The pastor of that church should be arrested also. In this country the church is not above the govt and the law

Answer 8

I do not support churches harboring wanted criminals.

I think she thought that the public ans law enforcement officials would feel sorry for her and let her stay in the US with her son. It did not work that way, she spent a year in a church claiming sanctuary before traveling to LA. While she was in LA she was arrested and deported.

Answer 9

The illegal part should give the ending for this story.
Us Americans have to obey the law, so why don't they?
Its her kid, buh bye. Just because you have kid doesn't change the fact you are breaking the law here. Deport her and the kid. Tough break, but we do allow legal immigration.
She should have done it the right way and this would be a non issue. It is time for people to take responsibility, she chose illegal immigration therefore she must face the consequences.

Answer 10

She should have been arrested as well as the leaders of the church who allowed her to stay there. They were harboring a fugitive, so to speak.

Criminals hide in churches all the time though. That's one of the reasons we have had to much trouble winning the war in Iraq. Our enemies hide in churches and even shoot from inside the churches. Our troops are not permitted to return fire because it happens to be a church.