Sanctuary and Resistance 2025: Evolving Strategies in an Uncertain Landscape

Project Title

_{Sanctuary and Resistance 2025: Evolving Strategies in an Uncertain Landscape}

Funder

_{Soli*City Research Network and the Zolberg Institute for Migration and Mobility}

Overview

_{Between January and May 2025, the Soli*City Research Network (opens in new window)  and the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility (external link, opens in new window)  brought together people who care deeply about protecting migrants and refugees in the United States. Through five roundtable conversations, we connected municipal leaders, legal advocates, scholars, and community organizers from across the United States and internationally. What started as focused discussions grew into a network of over 120 people working together toward shared goals.}

_{These conversations created vital space for people to share what they were learning, reflect on challenges, and coordinate their efforts. Together, participants documented what the new federal administration was doing and tracked how states, cities, and community groups were responding. Panelists described alarming increases in anti-immigrant actions—including mass deportation plans, expanded ICE enforcement, and attempts to criminalize those who help immigrants. But the discussions also revealed powerful reasons for hope: the resilience and creativity that emerges when people work together. Communities are building stronger coalitions, cities are mounting legal defenses, and local organizations are creating more welcoming and inclusive ways to support everyone who needs help.}

_{This report is for the people on the front lines of this work: city officials, community organizations, legal advocates, and researchers who are committed to protecting migrant and refugee rights. We're also speaking to policymakers and funders who want to strengthen welcoming communities and ensure that human rights are protected where people actually live their daily lives. We're clear about our audience because this report has two important purposes: to give local communities practical tools they can use right now, while also influencing bigger conversations about migration and sanctuary at national and international levels.}

Key Findings

_{The human cost of federal policy changes has been devastating and swift, going far beyond what many expected. The new administration has rapidly dismantled legal protections, targeted service providers, and criminalized aid efforts. Mass deportation plans, expanded ICE enforcement, militarized borders, and the weaponization of immigration law have stripped away due process protections. Children and people seeking asylum—some of our most vulnerable community members—have been hit hardest by these changes.}

_{Local governments and communities remain the backbone of immigrant protection, but they're under enormous pressure. Cities and non-profit organizations are dealing with severe funding cuts, legal uncertainty, and intense political attacks while trying to keep essential services running for people who need them most. Federal "clawbacks," canceled refugee resettlement contracts, and frozen emergency aid are forcing local leaders to make impossible choices about how to care for their residents.}

_{Strategic litigation and administrative resistance create valuable outcomes even when unsuccessful in court. European cases demonstrate how "losing" legal battles can generate important precedent and build public support, while cities assert autonomy through Human Rights City frameworks and refusal to cooperate with federal enforcement.}

_{Community-centered service models that prioritize relationships and trust prove essential for safeguarding dignity amid fear and disinformation. Programs integrating migrant services into broader community support—such as one-stop shops and trauma-informed spaces—position migration as a community asset while building the interpersonal connections that sustain resilience.}

_{Cross-sector coalition-building strengthens protective networks and amplifies impact. Faith groups, businesses, academics, and municipalities each contribute vital resources and legitimacy, with unexpected partnerships expanding sanctuary policies beyond traditional advocacy boundaries and creating webs of mutual support.}

_{Narrative strategies remain central to long-term success. Reframing migration as shared civic responsibility counters fear-based politics and fosters solidarity, while moving beyond "good vs. bad migrant" dichotomies enables broader coalitions rooted in shared humanity rather than deservingness.}

_{Sanctuary must evolve beyond legal definitions and geographical boundaries, embracing frameworks that recognize migration as structural and global, linked to labor rights, racial equity, and climate justice while addressing asylum and refugee protection through international human rights obligations.}

Strategic implications

_{This research demonstrates that while federal hostility toward immigrant communities has intensified dramatically, local resistance rooted in human connection remains both viable and essential. Cities can institutionalize sanctuary frameworks within municipal governance, develop alternative funding strategies, and leverage legal ambiguity to maintain protections for their residents. Success requires balancing urgent response with strategic patience, building inclusive coalitions that can navigate internal tensions through sustained relationship-building, and learning from international experiences to adapt creative approaches that strengthen local communities.}

_{The path forward demands reimagining sanctuary as a fundamental civic value that extends to all residents—one that promotes social cohesion through interpersonal care, supports the economic vitality of communities, and upholds human dignity in an interconnected world shaped by migration. This vision recognizes that the strength of sanctuary lies not just in policies and legal frameworks, but in the everyday relationships and mutual support that make communities resilient and welcoming places for everyone to thrive.}

Resources