Jose Artiga, a Salvadoran student threatened by death squads in 1980, fled to the U.S. amidst a civil war fueled in part by U.S. involvement. Arriving in Austin, Texas, and eventually San Francisco, Artiga sought sanctuary at Most Holy Redeemer Church and became active in advocating for refugees. His efforts, including a hunger fast, garnered media attention and led to his involvement in forming the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, a collaborative initiative among several churches to support Salvadoran asylum seekers.
"By the time the other college students were already dead, their relatives couldn't recognize the bodies because they were cut into pieces," Artiga recalls, highlighting the brutality of the paramilitary actions.
"It took me three months to reach Austin and another year-and-a-half to get to San Francisco, where I was given sanctuary at Most Holy Redeemer Church," Artiga describes his harrowing journey as a refugee.
"As we announced our commitment to sanctuary in front of University Lutheran Chapel, we created the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant to unite our efforts in aiding Salvadoran refugees," Artiga reflected on the formation of the grassroots collective.
"The Salvadoran civil war was a critical moment in history, where the U.S. funded paramilitary forces while denying refugee status to those fleeing violence," Artiga pointed out, illustrating the complexities of political asylum.
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