One church in Reno is offering protection to illegal immigrants in the United States. There has been a growing number of worship places that opened their doors for such individuals in the past months.

Reno-Gazette Journal wrote that one family had been reunited to celebrate their son's birthday together with the aid of the Reno church. Jose Gastelum-Cardenas, 33, was hidden by the congregation from authorities. He and his wife are undocumented immigrants, while their sons, 9 and 5 years old, respectively, are US citizens.

The Washington Times revealed that the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada was the first church in the state to provide sanctuary to illegal immigrants when it allowed one to stay inside earlier in January 2016.

According to Rev. Neal Anderson, giving sanctuary promoted the values of their congregation and did not violate the law. He added that his church wanted to help those who already had families living in the United States for years. Their church building had space in the back that was transformed into a sanctuary room, complete with a bed, blanket and towels.

"Our declaration of the sanctuary is a way to express our opposition and a desire to see an immigration system that treats families in a way that allows them to stay together. We have a commitment as Unitarian Universalists to affirm and promote the worth and dignity of every person, and so we do this grounded in our religious convictions," Anderson told the Las Vegas Sun.

He said that their goal is to unite families and share the story of each immigrant who wishes to speak in public. They also wanted to uphold a "prophetic voice" for fair immigration policies.

Andersen of the Church World Service is part of the movement organizers. The reverend said that 11 out of 13 cases documented resulted to immigrants having their deportation status being suspended temporarily or on a permanent basis.

The Las Vegas Sun also cited a 2011 memo that had Immigration and Customs Enforcement discourage agents from going into sensitive locations, like churches and schools.

In January 2016, there were several raids that targeted Central American families who transferred to the United States, writes NPR. At present, there are about 50 churches in the country that offer protection although the interest is still spreading. Cathi Tactaquin, executive director for the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, stated that they have been receiving calls from churches around the country after the holidays. These churches were said to be seeking assistance from the organization.