People Resisting ICE Deportations

Sanctuary cities and faith-based spaces have a lengthy history in the United States, but they became a particularly contentious–and important–practice during President Trump’s first term. Donald Trump came into office on a wave of rhetoric demonizing undocumented immigrants and a commitment to increasing deportations. With the advance warning, a wide network of immigration activists, including many faith-based organizations, planned how they would meet the challenge.

The first step was to interfere with the physical procedure, which relies on a network of people who can be quickly activated. One option was to mobilize community members to show up to a potential deportation or deportation centers, using their bodies to interfere with the process. Alternatively, Churches and Synagogues served as sanctuary spaces where people could stay until they gained relief from the deportation order. In response to Trump’s election the number of sanctuary churches more than doubled. For both strategies, it was communities working together who were the backbone of these crucial redirections. Fighting deportations is not new, and this history is key to preparing both the people threatened with deportations and those fighting to protect them.

The second step was raising the alarm around the increasing deportations. Activists, faith members, and everyday people revealed the injustices over social media, reaching a national audience. They also spread information through neighborhood networks, where specific plans for future action could be developed. Offline, door knocking and sharing materials about people’s rights were key tools for resisting intimidation.

Alongside the grassroots organizing, many cities implemented sanctuary policies which supported the existing efforts to fight deportations. Trump and his administration began targeting those cities with financial ramifications, but that did not force them to change their plans.

Altogether, these tactics were able to protect undocumented immigrants and publicize their cause widely, galvanizing further support for the cause. There were nation-wide protests against Trump’s deportation policies, which spread news of the injustices even further.