CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WHDH) — A Cambridge church helping an immigrant family is believed to be the first church in Massachusetts to publicly offer sanctuary.
The University Lutheran Church is providing sanctuary to a 26-year-old woman and her two young daughters. The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, said a man took her against her will from Ecuador to the United States, where her daughters were born. She said the man has threatened to kill her and her family.
The woman was arrested in Arizona in 2012 for crossing the border illegally. She lost her appeal to stay in the United States legally. Earlier this month, she said immigration officials ordered her to leave the country by Dec. 20.
“She’s afraid of getting separated from her family. But she’s also afraid of getting deported because there’s people in her country that have threatened to kill her,” said Nester Pimienta of the Slic Refuge Community.
Leaders with the Sanctuary Coalition in Cambridge said the movement is due to President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration. More than 100 volunteers in several churches have since opened their doors to offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants.
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