Book Review Panel - Sanctuary in America: How Activists Defied the Government and Defended Immigrants – And Why It Still Matters

Over the past decade, the concept of ‘sanctuary’ has emerged as the single most important political and cultural term in debates about American immigration. This panel convenes scholars of religion, civil rights, and immigration for a review and discussion of Sanctuary in America (Oxford University Press, 2026). Moreover, recent disputes over the legality, boundaries, and meaning of sanctuary places of targeted immigration enforcement in cities like Charlotte, Chicago, and Minneapolis serve as clear markers that over the past decade, the concept of ‘sanctuary’ has emerged as a paramount political and cultural term in debates about immigration.