How to Organize a Statewide Sanctuary Community

New Hampshire residents were the first to blanket their state with Sanctuary Communities, eight in all, (October, 2025). Residents of other states can also announce that they are a Sanctuary Community, but in a simpler way. It is not necessary to form multiple Sanctuary Communities. Rather, a single Sanctuary Community can represent residents throughout the state, This new model makes it quite easy for advocates in each state to simply develop an overall state-wide model, e.g. the Texas Sanctuary Community, or the Florida Sanctuary Community. It can be initiated by a very small group of people:

1. Begin with a statewide Sanctuary Community declaration like the one available here.

2. Post the declaration (in the form of a petition) on the free website https://www.change.org/ so people can endorse it by adding their name and city/town. (Note: Before signing the petition, they can choose NOT to display their name/comment by unchecking the box above the yellow “Sign Petition” box. Change.org will tally the number of endorsers and their cities/towns, and we will only share the cities/towns of endorsers (not names).

3. Circulate the petition widely through email, social media and other networks for supporters to endorse. The change.org website, above, will track petition progress statewide.

4. Involve state residents in disseminating and publicizing the declaration by working through statewide immigrant advocacy groups, college organizations, houses of worship and other organizations likely to be supportive.

5. Consider ways to get statewide and local/community press interested in the initiative. Because Sanctuary Communities are forming to counter Trump and ICE immigration threats and brutality, local press will find this development of interest. We can provide you with a sample press release.

6. Select a contact person or two that media and others can reach to learn more.

7. Seek endorsements from people in many different parts of the state. Use Signal, a secure, encrypted messaging/phone/video app, for communications.

8. Continue this sign-on process as a long-term effort to gather more and more signatories statewide in support of your state Sanctuary Community.

9. Decide on ways to seek or respond to press interest as well as how to keep supportive organizations updated on progress. In NH, for example, we started several Sanctuary Community Signal groups that share updates and other important information.

10. In reporting on progress to media and others, do NOT provide the names of individuals who have endorsed the statement. Rather, say (for example) “we now have [thousands] of endorsements from people who live in [number] cities and towns” (and list the cities and towns).

11. Develop an action plan for your statewide Sanctuary Community, and use email, social media and printed fliers to get the word out. Plans could include Know Your Rights and Rapid Response trainings, contacting local law enforcement re: the potential legal jeopardy of 287g agreements with ICE, and delivering your petition to the governor in a public setting.

Please keep us updated via email (we.are.sanctuary.communities@protonmail.com) on the number of endorsers and cities/towns so we can post your progress on the national Sanctuary Communities website, along with the progress in other states (and check out our Resources section for helpful information). Of course, we are available by email to answer questions or to arrange to speak with you (or your group) by phone.