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U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Coloradans Threatened with Deportation Turn to Faith for "Sanctuary"

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014   

DENVER - Places of worship are known as places to find comfort in faith, and a group of Denver faith leaders also wants to offer relief from the threat of deportation to members of the immigrant community.

This week, five congregations announced the formation of the Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition. It will offer a refuge to people such as Jenny, who is facing the threat of deportation. She explained her thoughts, as translated by an interpreter.

"For me, a sanctuary represents another option for those of us who have no other legal way to keep fighting our cases," she said, "because the system is so broken."

Successful sanctuary programs operate in other cities such as Tucson, Ariz., and Philadelphia. Sanctuary is not a legal immigration claim or status, but organizers say church involvement has had success in other cities where sanctuary programs exist.

An informational session is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 Lafayette St., Denver. Kate Burns, a member of the First Unitarian Denver congregation, said faith involvement sometimes offers immigrants a level of protection.

"The reason for that is ICE is very reluctant to cross church doors," she said, "So, it's just a way to ensure that the immigrant gets real protection, by staying on the church property."

Jenny said a "sanctuary" provides her much-needed relief from the threat of leaving her three American-born children, or being forced to take them back to Mexico and away from the only life they've known in the United States.

"So, this gives us another option to continue resisting our deportations," she said. "It gives us the chance to take a breath and continue to work with the community to fight our individual cases."

Another part of the Metro Denver sanctuary effort includes educating their congregations and local communities about the problems immigrants face with the current state of the U.S. immigration system.

More information is online at afsc.org.


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