Four immigrants who sought sanctuary in churches no longer face deportation

Hilda Ramirez and her son, Ivan, in 2017 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, where they have been living for close to eight years. (Eric Gay/AP)

A group of undocumented immigrants who sought sanctuary in churches to avoid deportation has reached a settlement with the Biden administration that will allow the women to stay in the U.S., at least for now.

During the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued massive civil fines against these immigrants — nearly half a million dollars, in some cases — as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration. But the Biden administration reversed course and stopped issuing fines.