Since Donald Trump was elected president, the number of churches in the United States declaring themselves sanctuaries or safe places for undocumented immigrants has more than doubled. However, few people are taking refuge in them. After Trump’s victory last November, about 400 churches declared themselves sanctuaries. That brought the total number of sanctuary churches in the country to 800, according to the nonprofit group Church World Service. The rise came after Trump said he wanted to deport millions of undocumented people from the United States. However, many undocumented immigrants say they consider taking refuge in the churches a risky move. Only 12 people are known to be taking refuge in these churches.
