Congregations around the nation have recently been hosting undocumented immigrants as immigration reform has continued to stall in Congress.

Francisco Aguirre, an undocumented immigrant living in the U.S. for 19 years, as well as activist for other undocumented immigrants, was hiding in a church in Portland, Oregon in an attempt to escape deportation, Fox Latino reported.

Aguirre, 35, a native of El Salvador, has two children who are American citizens, and is being sought for deportation due to a drug trafficking conviction 15 years ago, authorities told Fox Latino. He works for Voz Workers' Rights Education Project, a Portland nonprofit that runs a day labor center, and is a musician who performs songs about social justice.

At least 300 congregations around the country are serving as sanctuaries for similarly undocumented immigrants, and those who seek refuge remain safe.

The reason being is because immigration officials tend not to arrest people inside churches or other places of worship, Fox Latino reported.

And Aguirre has said he intends on staying at the Augustana Lutheran Church while he deals with his case, and his lawyer, Stephen Manning, said Aguirre is trying to obtain a U-visa.

"A church is a place without borders," the church's pastor Mark Knutson told Fox Latino. "'It allows people to be and to sort things out ... without guns, without coercion."

The U-visa is a special document for crime victims who help the authorities in investigating a case.

Since entering the U.S. in 1995, Aguirre worked as a day laborer, which is why he started Voz, in addition to running a computer repair business from his home.

He was deported in 2000, but managed to re-enter illegally after that, Fox Latino reported.

He was able to stay off the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement radar until his August arrest for driving under the influence.

"I believe I should be allowed to stay in Oregon, because I'm a good citizen, I'm a part of this community, and this is where I belong," Aguirre said, according to Fox Latino.