Sacramento Liberals Are Now Using Churches in Order to Keep Illegal Immigrants Safe from Deportation

A group of local organizations is launching new hotline on Thursday to put immigrant families at ease. Churches and immigration advocates are working together to create a network of support for people who feel threatened by immigration officers.



“I think that it is wrong and immoral for us to allow our neighbors to live in such fear,” said Gabby Trejo, Associate Director of Sacramento Area Congregations Together.



ACT is one of several organizations involved in launching the ‘Rapid Response Hotline’ for immigrant families who feel threatened by ICE. Trejo says fear in immigrant communities is still growing in Sacramento. She believes it’s gotten worse since Donald Trump was elected.



“People would see a white van and they would be so scared and they would let everybody know,” she explained. “People are taken in the middle of the night, in the darkness and nobody is actually witnessing.”



Local activists don’t want immigrant families in Sacramento to feel like they’re alone. Anyone can dial the number 24 hours a day. They can verify whether or not an ICE raid is actually happening and they can request a legal observer to be present during an interaction with immigration officers.



“All we are doing is verifying and bearing witness to ensure that people’s rights are being actually respected,” Trejo said.



But former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness says he would hate to see anyone illegally derail a case.



“There’s a broad range of potential there,” he said. “If they are actually arrestible based upon a court order and others are interfering with law enforcement personnel and the efforts to do that then they violate the law!”