(AP) - A Reno church is joining a growing movement among places of worship offering sanctuary to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada became the first church in the state earlier this month to allow an immigrant to stay there.

The Rev. Neal Anderson says he does not see giving sanctuary as breaking the law, but rather upholding his congregation's values.

Anderson says his congregation wants to help immigrants with families who have been living in the U.S. for years.

The church has converted a space in the back into a sanctuary room with a cot, blanket and towels.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement discourages agents from entering "sensitive" locations such as churches and schools, according to a 2011 memo.