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Phoenix Church That Offers Immigrants Sanctuary Trying To Keep Families Together

Marco Tulio Coss
(Photo by Matthew Casey - KJZZ)
Members of Shadow Rock United Church of Christ pray with Marco Tulio Coss (center) before his regular check-in at Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix.

The church that offered sanctuary to Misael Perez — and to Marco Tulio Coss, who was deported last week — is Shadow Rock United Church of Christ in Phoenix.

Church officials have been offering sanctuary to immigrants who need more time to navigate the immigration system since 2014. Their goal is to keep their families together while their immigration cases are being played out.

Rev. Ken Heintzelman, pastor at Shadow Rock United Church of Christ in Phoenix, talked about the church's decision to offer sanctuary.

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Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.