PROVIDENCE — The First Unitarian Church of Providence is again prepared to serve as a sanctuary church, having sheltered an immigrant family during the last Trump administration.
But the congregation is trying to gauge the most effective way to proceed now that the new Trump administration has announced it will let federal immigration officials make arrests at houses of worship and schools — traditionally safe havens for undocumented immigrants.
”I don’t think it’s appropriate to go to a house of worship — a church, a temple, a synagogue," the Rev. Elizabeth Lerner Maclay told the Globe. “I think it’s a moral violation. If the Trump administration cares about moral authority and the importance of faith, then I would think they would respect that. But that doesn’t mean I’m confident they will.”
Maclay noted the church had no guarantee that immigration officials would stay out of the church in 2017, when it was one of the only sanctuary churches in the area, sheltering an immigrant woman and her children for a couple of months.
But with new Trump administration policy and plans for mass deportations, the calculus has changed, she said.
“We’re not being cagey,” Maclay said. “We really are sussing this out. Once we saw the results of the election, we rebooted our sanctuary efforts. But it’s taking time to figure out what’s going to be most effective because we don’t want to get it wrong.”
The congregation might end up housing a family if it determines that’s the right thing to do, but it could also help by providing food, transportation, or other forms of support, she said.
The church is trying to make sure that whatever it does helps the greatest number of people, Maclay said.
“And that may not look like providing sanctuary to one family at a time,” she said. “We’re going to help. And the form that sanctuary takes is going to depend on what we ultimately learn from the people themselves at risk.”
Dr. Chris Campanile said a core group of other congregation members have restarted a sanctuary working group, and they’ve been attending “Know Your Rights” workshops with Jennifer L. Wood, executive director of the Rhode Island Center for Justice, and Cecily Ziegler, staff attorney for the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island.
Also, the congregation has joined the Immigrant Coalition of Rhode Island, which includes 33 organizations “committed to ensuring fair and equal treatment of our immigrant neighbors,” he said.
Campanile said he works at a health care clinic where the “no show” rate has increased since Trump’s inauguration. “The concern is that you might be showing up at a place where you’re at greater risk of being apprehended,” he said.
That’s not good for the health of those patients, especially at a time when COVID-19, influenza, and RSV are spreading, and it’s not good for the greater community if diseases remain undiagnosed and untreated, he said.
Campanile acknowledged the congregation is taking risks in serving as a sanctuary church.
“Not only has a church lost its ‘sensitive location’ designation, but there is also this threat that the Department of Treasury and the head of the IRS could decide, if they feel you are aiding any terrorist effort in the country, that you could lose your 501c3 tax exempt status,” he said. “And it could be a very arbitrary decision.”
Maclay said she recognizes that immigration is a major issue. She hopes the country can engage is conversation about “the realities of the immigration crisis” and agree on “meaningful solutions that are effective and humane.”
But Maclay said the Trump administration has engaged in “fearmongering” that has led some to believe a high percentage of immigrants commit violent crimes. “It’s always been the case, when you look at statistics, that it’s much more likely to be a native born person who is doing that,” she said.
Maclay said she cannot understand why the fearmongering is so successful. But, she said, “This is not a church of people who are scared. This is a church of people who are compassionate and hopeful and caring and faithful.”
The Unitarian Church adheres to seven principles, she said, noting the first principle is “The inherent worth and dignity of every person.”
Maclay said she was glad to see that the Episcopal bishop of Washington the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, made a public plea in a sermon before President Trump to show “mercy” to LGBTQ+ youth and undocumented immigrants.
Trump later demanded a public apology. But Maclay said mercy is one of the most important teachings of Jesus.
“The fact that (Trump) and other leaders, including supposed Christian leaders, are outraged by her reminding him that mercy is important and telling him that people are afraid, feels like a deeply un-Christian response,” she said. “Not only Christianity, but all the world’s religions call people to compassion and generosity of spirit.”
Maclay said the First Unitarian Church has received support in its sanctuary efforts from other local faith leaders, including Rabbi Sarah Mack, senior rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Providence.
“It’s important for people in this church to know that we are not alone,” she said. “And it’s important for immigrants and refugees to know that they are not alone.“
Mack said she’s not yet sure how her congregation can help, and it’s not equipped to house immigrants. “But we will walk with our faith partners, including First Unitarian, First Baptist, and St. Martin’s Episcopal Church,” she said. “We are grateful to have real and close relationships where we know we have each other’s back.”
Mack said caring for strangers and the vulnerable is a key part of Judaism. “Care for the stranger, for we know the heart of the stranger,” she said. “We were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
The new administration policy on entering houses of worship has created uncertainty, Mack said. “We are living in a really chaotic moment,” she said. “But we gain comfort from navigating that with trusted faith partners that make Rhode Island feel like a safe place.”
Maclay said the months ahead will be difficult, but also inspiring. “I think our work is very clear right now,” she said.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.