The following is Angela’s address to the community on November 19, 2015, the one-year anniversary of her entrance into sanctuary. One...
Sanctuary: Angela Navarro Civil Disobedience
“I’m taking Sanctuary for my own life, my family, and the entire immigrant community. I have lived in fear for over 10 years and I can’t continue living this way.”
– Angela Navarro
“President Obama: like millions of others, Angela lives in fear of her family being torn apart. As a father, I know you can relate. As a practicing Christian, you are asked to ‘welcome the stranger.’ As the leader of our great country, I ask you to live out your faith, use the authority you have been given and stop all deportations.”
– Reverend Adan Mairena, Pastor of West Kensington Ministry
On November 18, 2014, Angela Navarro took Sanctuary by moving into member congregation West Kensington Ministry. Angela lived with a final deportation order for 10 years and did not leave church property until she stopped her final deportation order. On January 16, 2015 we learned the good news: our campaign was successful and Angela’s final deportation order was stopped!
Angela’s civil disobedience in Sanctuary was part of the national movement to push President Obama to take positive action on immigration after immigration reform failed to pass Congress. It was also a tactic to demand an immediate end to Obama’s mass deportations; he has deported over two million people during his presidency. It was this national movement that forced Obama to take Executive Action on immigration, though critical pieces of this action are still being litigated before the Supreme Court.
Angela is a Honduran-born mother of two U.S.-born children, spouse of a US citizen, a leader at her church, and has worked for years at a local restaurant. Angela was one of nine immigrants nation-wide with a final order of deportation to enter into Sanctuary in 2014 and the only on the East Coast.
This victory was possible because of months of organizing by hundreds of immigrants, allies, and people of faith from throughout Philadelphia and the country. Our core organizing committee on the Sanctuary campaign met weekly (and sometimes more!) to plan and implement strategy for the campaign. The committee consisted of Angela and her family, Fr. John Olenick (Visitation BVM Parish), Rev. Adan Mairena (West Kensington Ministry), Heather Bargeron (Tabernacle United Church), Joe Leonard (West Kensington Ministry/Central Baptist Church), Charlie Miller (Germantown Mennonite Church), and NSM organizer Nicole Kligerman. Through the civil disobedience of entering Sanctuary, Angela took critical leadership to fight for her fundamental right to remain with her family and demand that President Obama end all deportations.
Check out this feed for the most recent campaign activity:

Sanctuary entry: One year anniversary event
On November 18, one year after Angela entered Sanctuary at West Kensington Ministry, we held a prayer service event to...

Sanctuary tour: Rosa in Tucson
Our last stop on the Sanctuary 2015 was to Rosa Robles Loreto, who has been in Sanctuary at Southside Presbyterian...

Sanctuary tour: Phoenix with Misael at Shadow Rock UCC
After a sad goodbye with Arturo, Ana, and the team at First Unitarian Society of Denver, we headed off to...

Sanctuary tour: Arturo in Denver
After her victory, Angela, her husband Manrique, and NSM organizer Nicole traveled to Denver, Tucson, and Phoenix to support the...

We’re on a week-long national Sanctuary tour!
Sanctuary leader Angela, husband Manrique, and NSM organizer Nicole head to Tucson, Phoenix, and Denver to support Misael, Arturo, and...

Angela wins case against deportation order!
After living in Sanctuary for 58 days, Angela Navarro stopped her final deportation order! Thank you the thousands of immigrants,...

Prayer for justice in Sanctuary – by Angela Navarro / Oracion por la justicia en Santuario – por Angela Navarro
Estamos aquí luchando por justicia por los 61 dias que mi hermana Angela esta en Santuario. We are here fighting...

11 Philly City Councilmembers pledge support for Angela!
Eleven Philadelphia City Councilmembers, led by Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez, signed a public letter in support of Angela’s campaign. We...

Posada in Sanctuary!
To celebrate Christmas, we held a posada at West Kensington Ministry for Angela. A posada is an enactment of Mary...

Congressman Brady writes support letter for Angela!
NSM organizer Nicole, Angela’s mother Maria, Angela’s husband Manrique, and West Kensington Ministry pastor Reverend Adan went to Washington DC...

Action at ICE: Vigil & letter delivery
We hand-deliver letters from 200 clergy, Congressman Brady, and eleven City Council members to the ICE headquarters, as well as...