The Associated Press reports that illegal immigrants are being granted refuge in churches across the country, and the government is looking the other way. Talk about erecting a wrong kind of wall between church and state. This should stop.

Where the civil law is concerned, churches have no more or different standing than any other building or company.

We don't, for example, make exceptions from the requirements of the building code for churches. Also, churches pay the same electric bills as everyone else. They obey the same laws as we all do. Why should they be considered off limits to people trying to enforce one particular part of the law of the land?

Yes, there is a tradition that churches offer refuge from the excesses of government, that the police should not go there to chase somebody. But they must not be allowed to abuse that tradition by enabling people to openly violate laws, whether about immigration or anything else.

A secular government has an obligation to treat churches the same as it treats other institutions. It makes no sense to go after undocumented immigrants working in factories, farms and nurseries but not residing in the open under church roofs. (hh)