Parity Pipeline

Genre

Synopsis

In SI PUDIERA QUEDARME / IF I COULD STAY we see these two mothers organizing and activating the predominantly white communities of the churches they inhabit. These congregations grapple with how to put their power, privilege, and faith into action to support their undocumented guests. The film explores the friendships and relationships that develop between Jeanette, Ingrid, and their white allied hosts, while focusing on the learning and unlearning needed to be an effective ally towards undocumented communities. As part of their efforts to gain legal status, Jeanette and Ingrid create multiple campaigns to surmount their legal challenges. They engage their allied church communities as they work to have their voices heard, and shift the paradigm of power to place agency and leadership in the hands of undocumented women of color. With an observational lens, we see these two Latinx mothers claiming their power, fighting for respect, and teaching allied communities myriad lessons. Jeanette emphasizes “Providing Sanctuary is not doing us a favor. This is an act of social justice.” The structure of Sanctuary Rising interweaves the arcs of Jeanette and Ingrid’s tireless efforts to gain legal status by entering sanctuary within their respective churches’ walls. Jeanette entered sanctuary in 2017, to leave 86 days later. She has protection from deportation for two years and the film follows her journey as she makes the difficult decision to re-enter sanctuary after the two years of safety expire, and once again she is separated from her three children. Ingrid entered Sanctuary in 2017, and has not left the church in over four years. The film follows her advocacy to get a pardon for her criminal conviction, and re-open her immigration case. Ingrid has her third child while in sanctuary, which tests the allied communities ability to accept her choice to grow her family while living in a dire situation.