Sanctuary cities in the US were born in the 1980s as Central American refugees fled civil wars

WLRN Public Media | By The Conversation
Published August 18, 2025 at 4:30 PM EDT

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Laura Madokoro is an Associate Professor of History at Carleton University

Sanctuary cities in the US were born in the 1980s as Central American refugees fled civil wars. Sanctuary cities in the United States, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump during both of his administrations.

Border czar Tom Homan said in July 2025 that the Trump administration would target sanctuary cities across the country and “flood the zone” with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pursue deportation goals.

I am a historian of migration. I have found that the concept of sanctuary takes many forms, from gestures of kindness and advocacy to more formal approaches such as churches protecting migrants at risk of arrest and deportation.

In the U.S., sanctuary city policies have historically been designed to support undocumented immigrants and refugees, especially those facing deportation. Ordinances based on these policies are often used by local authorities to signal the need for substantive immigration reform.

More:
https://www.wlrn.org/immigration/2025-08-18/sanctuary-cities-in-the-us-were-born-in-the-1980s-as-central-american-refugees-fled-civil-wars