These local churches want to give undocumented immigrants sanctuary in Cincinnati – WCPO

CINCINNATI -- When a Fairfield mother of four was deported to Mexico in April, one of her biggest advocates was the Catholic Church.

In the end, the church couldn't stop Maribel Trujillo Diaz's deportation -- but that doesn't mean Tri-State churches have given up the fight, one they say is rooted in compassion.

We have a biblical command to advocate for the immigrant and stranger in our midst, said David Meredith, pastor of Clifton United Methodist Church.

Meredith is part of the newly-formedCincinnati Sanctuary Congregation Coalition. The coalition is made upof more than 20 area congregations of Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions and aims to help undocumented immigrants find sanctuary in Cincinnati.

We are called by Christ and Moses to be advocates for the widows, strangers, poor and vulnerable," Meredith said. "If we didnt address this issue, we would be allowing children to become orphans and women to become widows.

The coalition is forming a plan to also help the broader immigrant community that is living in fear under the current escalated crackdown on finding and deporting undocumented residents. Even recent immigrants who earned United States citizenship are frightened, say some advocates.

The coalitionincludes Temple Shalom, Clifton Mosque, St. Johns Unitarian Church, Mt. Auburn Baptist Church, Quakers and several other Christian denominations. They've started pooling resources and hope to provide immigrants with furniture, appliances, food, clothing and other services.

Clifton United Methodist Church is investing more than $15,000 in construction cost alone to convert a section of the basement into an apartment large enough for a family of four or more who has a family member at risk of deportation due to his or her legal status in the country. The apartment is expected to be ready for its first occupants in September, Meredith said.

"God does not view us by our nationality or race. We are all the same in his eyes," Meredith said. This is no different than the church housing a refugee."

There is no law preventing the government from entering a church that claims sanctuary for an individual or family, but traditionally officials will not enter a church.

WCPO Insiders can find out why a church would make public the fact that it's housing immigrants and what attorneys say about this group.

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These local churches want to give undocumented immigrants sanctuary in Cincinnati - WCPO