sanctuary city
[ sangk-choo-er-ee sit-ee ]
/ ˈsæŋk tʃuˌɛr i ˌsɪt i /
noun
a city in which the local government and police protect undocumented immigrants and refugees from deportation by federal authorities: sanctuary cities where law enforcement cannot question crime suspects about their immigration status.
Origin of sanctuary city
First recorded in 1865–70 in the sense “place of immunity from arrest”; the current sense, in 1980–85; possibly related to “Cities of Refuge” named in the Bible in the books of Joshua, Deuteronomy, and Numbers
Words nearby sanctuary city
sanction,
sanction mark,
sanctitude,
sanctity,
sanctuary,
sanctuary city,
sanctuary lamp,
sanctum,
sanctum sanctorum,
sanctus,
sanctus bell