WNC Sanctuary Movement Fund

At its heart, WNC Sanctuary Movement is dedicated to ensuring that Western North Carolina (WNC) is a positive place for Latinx communities, one in which families can live their lives without fear of sudden detainment or deportation.

When our volunteer verifiers assess a potential threat like an ICE checkpoint, they directly inform CIMA whether their neighborhoods at a given time are healthy public spaces for gathering, or places of imminent danger if they leave their homes. The families CIMA works with cannot assume their neighborhoods are safe, and these rapid response and communications networks are critical to increasing their sense of security in their communities.

WNC Sanctuary Movement is a grassroots effort comprised of a multi-faceted coalition of community and faith leaders within and without the Latinx community, as well as over 500 allied members throughout the region. By working in a dedicated partnership with the Latinx community to make WNC a safe space for everyone, we slowly rebuild trust that has been severely damaged in the wake of harmful immigration policies. Emerging and established Latinx leaders are members of the WNC Sanctuary Movement Council, a group of ~15 who oversee the organization. Through our Congregational working group, we also educate and support faith communities — the traditional providers of sanctuary — in their efforts to provide physical sanctuary within their neighborhoods.