A church on Chicago’s North Side has become the city’s third congregation to declare itself a sanctuary for immigrants facing deportation.

The first was Adalberto United Methodist in Humboldt Park. That church made a splash in 2006 by taking in a Mexican named Elvira Arellano and her U.S.-born son.

Last year, a nearby Reformed Church in America congregation called La Capilla del Barrio announced a willingness to follow suit.

Now Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ is stepping up.

DALE: Welcoming the stranger is not an option for people who take seriously the Christian scriptures. It’s a commandment.

Reverend Dan Dale says his church will harbor any undocumented person willing to make a stink about the nation’s immigration policies.

In response, Immigration and Customs Enforcement warns that anyone who knowingly harbors an illegal alien is subject to prosecution. But the agency says it focuses its enforcement on threats to national security and public safety.