ASHEVILLE – A local church in Asheville, NC is reportedly harboring and enabling illegal aliens. According to Mountain Express, a social justice church by the name of BeLoved which is founded and lead by a woman, Amy Cantrell, has been harboring illegal immigrants for about four years.

After arriving in the U.S. as an adult without the requisite papers, Bermejo traveled around the country before coming to Asheville three years ago. He lives at BeLoved and offers his talents as artist, musician and teacher free of charge, getting by on whatever folks donate.

BeLoved isn’t the only church in the area doing this. In fact, it is reported that there are at least 17 faith communities in Buncombe County and Mars Hill that are harboring illegals.

Today, at least 17 faith communities in Buncombe County and Mars Hill are offering shelter and assistance to immigrants living here without legal papers, according to Melody Pajak of the nonprofit Faith Communities Organizing for Sanctuary.

These churches are taking part in blatantly illegal activity. It is illegal to harbor aliens that are not authorized to be in the United States,

It is a violation of law for any person to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection in any place, including any building or means of transportation, any alien who is in the United States in violation of law.¹⁶ Harboring means any conduct that tends to substantially facilitate an alien to remain in the U.S. illegally.¹⁷ The sheltering need not be clandestine, and harboring covers aliens arrested outdoors, as well as in a building. This provision includes harboring an alien who entered the U.S. legally, but has since lost his legal status.

Punishment for harboring illegal aliens ranges from a fine up to a death sentence.