Legal Definitions - sanctuary

A sanctuary refers to a designated safe place where individuals can find refuge, often implying protection from legal arrest, prosecution, or other official actions. Historically, this concept was frequently tied to religious institutions, where individuals accused of crimes could seek asylum and be protected from immediate capture by secular authorities. In a broader sense, it signifies any place offering immunity or protection from external legal or governmental processes. The term can also refer to a sacred or holy area within a religious building.

• For instance, a city might declare itself a sanctuary city, adopting policies that limit its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies. This means local police might not inquire about a person's immigration status or hold individuals solely based on federal immigration warrants.

  Illustration: In such a city, an individual who is undocumented but has not committed a local crime might feel safer reporting a theft to the police, knowing that local officers are unlikely to initiate federal immigration proceedings against them. This policy creates a de facto sanctuary from certain federal legal processes within the city's jurisdiction.

• Another example is when a political dissident seeks diplomatic asylum within a foreign embassy located in their home country.

  Illustration: If a government issues an arrest warrant for a political activist, but the activist manages to enter the embassy of another nation, the local authorities generally cannot enter the embassy to execute the warrant. Under international law, the embassy grounds are considered inviolable territory of the foreign state, thus providing a temporary sanctuary from the host country's legal system.

• Historically, some ancient legal systems designated specific "cities of refuge" where individuals who had accidentally caused a death could flee to avoid immediate retribution or blood vengeance from the victim's family.

  Illustration: In ancient Israel, if someone unintentionally killed another person, they could seek refuge in one of these designated cities. While there, they were protected from the "avenger of blood" until their case could be properly heard and judged by the community elders. This provided a temporary sanctuary from immediate, extra-legal retaliation and allowed for due process.