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First let's get our terms straight. No church is offering safe haven (sanctuary) to immigrants. By definition an immigrant well, immigrates. That means he goes through the proper procedures to enter the country. As such he does not need sanctuary (unless he breaks some other law).

What some churches are doing is offering sanctuary to illegal aliens, people who entered the country by some means other than valid immigration. Those people violated the law to get here. They are not immigrants. They are not guests. They are trespassers. The concept is the same as if someone enters your home without permission.

Why would anyone think that a church can give sanctuary to criminals? Churches are not above the law. While the constitution gives them the right to believe and teach as they wish, it does not give them the right to aid and abet lawbreakers. Aiding and abetting is itself illegal in most jurisdictions which makes churches that do it also lawbreakers.

Churches that chose to do so are free to teach whatever they want about accepting illegal aliens. They are free to support laws and candidates that would allow illegals to remain. However they are not free to break the law. Nor is there any reason law officers cannot enter those buildings to deal with lawbreakers.

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