Cristo Rey Parish in Lansing announced Monday it will serve as a sanctuary church to protect immigrants on the verge of deportation in response to President Trump’s immigration reforms.
Cristo Rey Parish leaders say they will be housing immigrants in immediate danger of deportation while providing them with legal services needed to petition for a stay.
Oscar Castañeda is with Action of Greater Lansing, a community organizing group partnering with Cristo Rey. He says once a person is given sanctuary, his group will get the word out about his or her character to debunk what he says are myths about immigrants.
“That this person is a good person. Someone who according with the most typical American values is person who deserves a chance to do what they want to do,” Castañeda said.
Though it serves a largely Latino congregation, the Cristo Rey Parish is actually the second Lansing area church to designate itself as a sanctuary.
The first was All Saints Episcopal Church in East Lansing.
The hold up for some Cristo Rey members was fear of attracting attention since some are still working on their papers.