A battle over immigration is heating up in Springfield between the city council and the mayor.
Six councilors say they will file an order that will go before the full council that says no city employee can take any step to interfere with South Congregational Church in its mission of providing sanctuary to Gisella Collazo, who was welcomed in this week as she was facing deportation to Peru.
City Council President Orlando Ramos said Mayor Domenic Sarno's responding actions, which included directing the city to re-inspect the church and strip it of its tax-exempt status, interfere with religious freedom protections.
Sarno responded by saying his administration has a responsibility not to jeopardize potentially millions of dollars of federal funding by becoming a sanctuary city.