Sanctuary in a Trumpist Context: Creating Spaces of Democratic Exception

• Author: Kathleen R. Arnold
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/10659129211052493
• Published date: 01 December 2022
• Date: 01 December 2022

Article

PoliticalResearchQuarterly

2022,Vol.75(4)1173–1185

©TheAuthor(s)2021

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DOI:10.1177/10659129211052493

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SanctuaryinaTrumpistContext:Creating

SpacesofDemocraticException

KathleenR.Arnold

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Abstract

Thispaperfirstidentifiesthenecessityforsanctuaryasaformofprotestagainstthediscretionaryandoftenabsolute

formsofpowershapingthecurrentimmigrationsystem,particularlyasitaffectsundocumentedimmigrants.Although

theplenarypowerdoctrinehasremovedlegalpersonhoodfromimmigrantsatthefederallevelsincethelate1800s,

immigrants’rightlessnessandvulnerabilitytodetentionanddeportationhasgrownsinceTrumpwaselected.Itdis-

tinguishesbetweenasanctuarycityandchurch-basedsanctuary,holdingthatthelatterfitsmoreancientconceptionsof

sanctuary.Faith-basedsanctuaryisalsomoreradicalthansanctuarycities,challengingsovereignpoweroverimmigrants

whoarelargelyrightless.Thediscourseof“earnedcitizenship”holdsthatundocumentedimmigrantsmustmakeamends

toU.S.societyandpaybacktaxesaswellasearningthetrustoftheAmericanpublic.Incontrast,church-basedsanctuary

exposesthefaultylogicofsuchclaims,educatingthepublicabouttheundocumentedindividual’sexistingtiestothe

communityandhis/hercontributions.Inhumanizingthelegalnon-person,church-basedsanctuarypracticesexplode

conventionalbinarybetweencitizenandforeigner,problematizingclaimsofmeritontheonesideandlackofde-

servingnessoralienstatusontheother.

Keywords

sanctuary,immigration,refugees,Constitution,plenarypower,protest

AsPresidentTrumptookofficein2017,issuedtravel

bans,temporarilysuspendedDACA(DeferredActionfor

ChildhoodArrivals),andrescindedTPS(temporary

protectedstatus)forsignificantnumbersofpeople,im-

migrantsanctuarybecameasubjectofmainstreamdis-

cussion(seeKroll-Zaidi2020;Lasch,etal.2018).

Advocacyforsanctuaryhasincreasedaseachchange,or

threatofchange,hasinspiredfearofforcedremoval,

economichardship,andthebreakupoffamiliesand

communities.TheTrumpadministration’smeasures

generatedconcernsregardingnotonlyundocumented

individuals,butalsorefugeepetitionersandlegalper-

manentresidents(seeBosniak2018;Motomura2018).In

particular,therewereconcernsthatresidentforeigners

wouldbeblockedfromre-entrywhentravelingforhol-

idaysand/orthatdespitetheirvisas,statuscouldbemore

easilystrippedaway.AlthoughBiden’sfirstmonthshave

signaledhopefulchange,theconditionsdrivingsanctuary

measuresremain,exacerbatedbythespreadofCOVID-19

indetentioncenters.

Asmanyhavediscerned,immigrationpolicyallows

forahighlydiscretionaryandoftenarbitrarysetofpol-

iciesandenforcement,whichmanythink“sanctuary”will

challenge(seeHeeren2015;Kanstroom2007;Motomura

2018;Wadhia2015).Becauseoftherecentinterestinthis

subject,Iwouldliketoexplainthetworelatedandyet

distinctformsofsanctuary:sanctuarylocalitiesandfaith-

basedsanctuary,occurringinahouseofworship(see

Lasch,etal.2018;Preston2017;VillazorandCuison,

2009,576n20).Theyareeachimportantanduniqueforms

ofprotestandtogether,challengethehighlydiscretionary

andhistoricallyunjustdeploymentofsovereignauthority

inmattersofimmigration.Thefirstform—welcomingor

sanctuarylocalities,whichIwillcall“sanctuarylocali-

ties”forsimplicity’ssake(seeArrocha2021;Hoye2020,

85;Laschetal.2018,1710)—reinstatesasystemthat

upheldthepersonhoodrightsofthe14thAmendmentfor

allstateresidentsupthrough1996(seeVarsanyi2008).

1

Thatis,theytreatresidentforeignersaslegally

1

DePaulUniversity,Chicago,IL,USA

CorrespondingAuthor:

KathleenR.Arnold,DePaulUniversity,990WFullertonAve,Chicago,

IL60614,USA.

Email:karnol14@depaul.edu