S7, Ep. 04: Criminalizing Mercy: Sanctuary and Government Repression of Migrant Justice

Today, we are bringing you a special presentation on the contested issue of "sanctuary," which continues to cut into the immigration debates in our country. Dr. Sergio M. González traces the sanctuary movement to its roots in the 1980s and examines how we arrived at a moment where mercy is met with repression. This presentation was given on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., on Oct. 22, 2025, as part of BJC's annual Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State.

SHOW NOTES

Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): Introduction

Dr. Sergio M. González is a historian of U.S. immigration, labor and religion. A professor at Marquette University, he is a co-founder and former organizer for the Dane Sanctuary Coalition.

He also is the co-creator of a podcast titled "Sanctuary: On the Border Between Church and State."

Segment 2 (starting at 04:45): Presentation from Dr. Sergio M. González

This is a recording of a lecture from Dr. Sergio González that took place Oct. 22, 2025, at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Watch the full presentation, including the audience Q&A, on BJC's YouTube channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSnDp8hPNIo

Dr. Gonzalez mentions a document called "Religious Liberty and Immigration: Legal Analysis of Past and Future Claims." You can access it on the website of the Law, Rights & Religion Project.

This program was part of BJC's annual Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State. Learn more at BJConline.org/ShudenLectures.

Video of our episodes are now on YouTube! Click here for the season 7 playlist.

Do you want special emails about the show? Click here to sign up for our email list!

Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. Your gift to BJC is tax-deductible, and you can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.