SAUL GONZALEZ: As Congress debates controversial legislation to overhaul America's immigration system, a coalition of religious leaders and their congregations have launched a national initiative in support of the country's estimated 12 million undocumented residents.
UNIDENTIFIED CATHOLIC PRIEST (speaking at ceremony): We are united in one voice and in one faith to act upon the sacred Scripture that says do not mistreat the stranger in your land.
GONZALEZ: Unveiled at a ceremony in Los Angeles this spring, it's called the New Sanctuary Movement. It's an interfaith campaign in which houses of worship will offer long-term refuge to some undocumented immigrants facing deportation from the United States. The concept of sanctuary springs from ancient religious writings and traditions, says Lutheran pastor Alexia Salvatierra, one of the coordinators of the New Sanctuary Movement. Reverend ALEXIA SALVATIERRA (New Sanctuary Movement): It actually goes back to the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. It goes back to Leviticus, that in Leviticus it says that if you can't achieve justice, you can run to the temple and nobody can harm you until you get a chance to have a fair hearing.
GONZALEZ: The New Sanctuary Movement was partly modeled on a 1980s campaign by U.S. churches to offer shelter and aid to Central American refugees fleeing civil wars and human rights abuses in their home countries. A more recent inspiration came from an undocumented single mother from Mexico who last year sought sanctuary at a Chicago church rather than be deported. UNIDENTIFIED MINISTER: We have decided to take a moral and public stand to defend the rights of immigrant families and workers.
GONZALEZ: Houses of worship in 20 cities are participating in the New Sanctuary Movement say its leaders. But so far only a handful of undocumented residents have actually received refuge.
Rev. SALVATIERRA: These families by coming forward are putting themselves in the direct line of fire for all of the hatred, and that takes just incredible courage and incredible commitment. These are families of great integrity.
GONZALEZ: In the Los Angeles area, two undocumented men have taken up residence in local churches. Neither would give his last name. Juan Humberto, originally from Guatemala, has lived in the United States since 1992. Jose, from Mexico, arrived here in 1989. Both have young children who were born in this country and are thus U.S. citizens. These men say if they were deported it would ruin the family lives they've created in this country. JOSE (through translator): We need to be together with our family. Children need their parents. It is not just to send parents away to one country while the children stay here alone. They're breaking up families. That's the problem.
GONZALEZ: They also stress that since arriving in the U.S. they've been productive residents.
JUAN HUMBERTO (through translator): I've lived in this country for 15 years. I pay taxes just like any other person. I'm a homeowner. I bought a house. I also have a gardening business. I'm not robbing anyone. I'm not a criminal. GONZALEZ: The New Sanctuary Movement hopes highlighting the plight of these men and others seeking refuge will encourage lawmakers in Congress to approve a so-called path to citizenship for America's millions of undocumented residents.
Rev. SALVATIERRA: We would like a comprehensive reform for the immigration system so that immigrant workers who have good work records and who have citizen children and are contributing to their communities are not ripped away from their children and deported.
GONZALEZ: In addition to a roof over their heads, those who are granted sanctuary also receive financial help for their families, paid for by participating congregations, and legal assistance to aid them in their fight to stay in this country.
JOSE (through translator): We don't have a normal life like millions of other people in the United States. The only thing we want is a better life for our kids. That's what we are looking for. We are not asking for anything more. That's not against the law to create a better life for your child. GONZALEZ: However opponents of illegal immigration criticize both the tactics and goals of the New Sanctuary Movement. They argue that providing shelter and aid to people who are in the United States illegally are at best misguided acts and, at worst, flagrant and irresponsible violations of the law.
Mr. MEHLMAN: You know, people have a right to believe that God is guiding their decisions but nevertheless churches, religious workers, are all subject to the laws of the United States. They may feel that they have a moral obligation to engage in civil disobedience, and I can respect that. But the law also has an obligation to enforce the law against people who flout the law.
GONZALEZ: When contacted for this story, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to say if agents would attempt to arrest those undocumented individuals claiming sanctuary. Under U.S. law, however, there is no recognized right to sanctuary in a church like there is in some countries. What religious leaders are counting on is an enormous public backlash against the government if a church was raided. 
GONZALEZ: Ira Mehlman argues the sanctuary movement and its supporters ignore the burdens illegal immigration places on American society, such as the undocumented using public health care services and helping to depress wages in a variety of industries through increased job competition.
that immigration has an impact on everybody else in society. And as a society we've determined that those interests need to be protected as well, and that's why we institute laws, and that's why we need to enforce them. 
