NEW YORK – The number of American churches declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants has more than doubled since President Donald Trump was elected, but only a dozen people are known to be taking refuge there to avoid deportation.

Since Trump’s victory in November, about 400 churches have declared themselves sanctuaries, bringing the total to more than 800, according to Church World Service, an international humanitarian nonprofit. The surge came after Trump pledged to deport millions of undocumented people from the United States.

But for immigrants seeking to avoid federal authorities, sanctuary remains a last resort — and a potentially risky one.

“You need a certain mindset. You have to be a very strong-willed individual who’s willing to make that personal sacrifice to make a larger statement towards immigration law,” said Ray Ybarra Maldonado, a Phoenix-based immigration attorney.

“It’s not just about an individual staying here; it’s something much bigger than that,” said Ybarra Maldonado, who represented Mexican-born Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, who made headlines in February and was one of the first illegal immigrants deported under Trump.