Philadelphia Documentary ‘Expanding Sanctuary’ Resurfaces as 2018 Immigrant Rights Struggle Mirrors Present Day
A short documentary chronicling a pivotal 2018 victory for immigrant rights in Philadelphia has returned to the spotlight, striking a resonant chord with audiences in 2026 as the political climate once again intensifies around sanctuary city policies. Expanding Sanctuary, directed by independent filmmaker Kristal Sotomayor, is currently being screened across the city, offering both a historical record and a “roadmap” for current activists navigating the complexities of a second Trump administration.
The film focuses on a historic campaign led by Juntos, a Latinx immigrant-led community organization in South Philadelphia. Their objective in 2018 was to dismantle the Preliminary Arraignment Reporting System (PARS) agreement, a controversial data-sharing contract that allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) real-time access to the Philadelphia Police Department’s arrest database. At the time, activists argued that PARS facilitated the deportation of residents who had not been convicted of crimes, eroding trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
A Mirror to the Present
Columnist Sabrina Vourvoulias, writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, notes that the film’s resurgence is timely. While the specific battle against PARS was won—the city declined to renew the contract in 2018—the broader war over data privacy and municipal cooperation with federal immigration authorities remains “meaningfully the same and poignantly different.”
In 2018, the struggle was framed against the backdrop of “Trump 1.0” policies, which included threats to withhold federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions. Today, in 2026, similar pressures have resurfaced. The film highlights the emotional and logistical labor required to organize a community under siege, a reality that local advocates say is identical to the challenges they face now. The documentary captures the “historic community power” that forced a change in city policy, serving as a reminder that local municipal decisions can still offer a buffer against federal mandates.
Challenges and Fatigue
Despite the film’s inspiring conclusion, observers note significant objections and hurdles facing the movement today that were less prevalent or different eight years ago. There is a palpable sense of “activist fatigue” within the community, having to fight the same battles repeatedly. Furthermore, while the PARS agreement ended, new surveillance technologies and data-broker loopholes often allow federal agencies to bypass city restrictions, making the “sanctuary” designation harder to enforce technically than it was in 2018.
Critics of sanctuary policies also continue to leverage the financial argument, suggesting that Philadelphia’s refusal to cooperate fully with federal enforcement risks vital city funding—a narrative that has gained renewed traction in the current political cycle.
Background on the Movement
Philadelphia has long designated itself a “Sanctuary City,” a term that generally means the city limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents to protect public safety and encourage all residents to report crimes without fear of deportation. Expanding Sanctuary provides essential context to this designation, moving beyond the label to show the human cost of the policies involved.
The film is part of the “Table Sessions” series at Bartram’s Garden, with screenings scheduled throughout February and April. For Sotomayor and the protagonists of the film, the re-release is not just a victory lap for a past win, but a critical educational tool for a new generation of organizers facing a familiar, yet evolved, set of challenges.
billypenn.com
inquirer.com
