“Guilty of the Gospel”

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter examines the federal prosecution of the Sanctuary Movement between 1985 and 1991, focusing on raids against religious activists such as Sister Darlene Nicgorski and the government’s effort to portray sanctuary as a criminal conspiracy rather than a faith-based defense of Central American refugees fleeing U.S.-supported violence. It traces the counterattack mounted by federal authorities, conservative religious networks, and immigration restrictionists who depict sanctuary activism as unlawful defiance of immigration enforcement. The chapter then examines Operation Sojourner and the Phoenix sanctuary trial, where surveillance, informants, and judicial rulings exclude religious motivations and refugee testimony from the defense. It shows that the convictions unexpectedly expand public sympathy, intensify national media attention, and accelerate the growth of congregational sanctuaries and municipal sanctuary policies. Finally, the chapter traces how sanctuary activism shapes policy outcomes, including Temporary Protected Status provisions and the American Baptist Churches v. Thornburgh asylum settlement.</jats:p>