Churches answer the call to offer sanctuary to immigrants

Community members and religious leaders attend a Faith in Fresno rapid response team training session to support undocumented immigrants facing the threat of deportation at Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in Fresno.

About 100 people participated in the Fresno training sessions, which included role play about immigration enforcement, how to coordinate a response and how to help affected families get in touch with legal services.

Trudi Thom, center, and her husband, Bob Levine, left, during the Faith in Fresno rapid response team training session at Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church.

The Faith in Fresno organization recently purchased a phone to use as a hotline that they will advertise to immigrants in case of emergency.