Florida should listen to Miami archbishop: Detained migrants need spiritual comfort

Miami Herald

25-07-2025

Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski is raising a powerful moral question: Should the hundreds of people detained inside the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center — many awaiting deportation — be denied spiritual comfort as they face sudden family separation, isolation and the end of their life in America?
His answer, and ours, is clear: No.
Whether undocumented or facing criminal charges, these detainees deserve access to prayer, confession and Mass — just like inmates in state and federal prisons across the United States. As Wenski says, it's the humane thing to do. We agree.
Yet state officials have ignored the letter from Wenski requesting that priests be allowed inside the detention facility at the edge of the Everglades. So Wenski — the leader of 1.3 million Catholics in South Florida — recently made an unannounced visit to Alligator Alcatraz, riding up in a Harley-Davidson as part of the Knights on Bikes, a religious motorcycle ministry.
Clad in denim and a leather vest, he and 25 riders showed up to make the point that religion must be allowed inside the tents of this controversial pop-up facility because it is the right and humane thing to do. These detainees are experiencing one of the darkest times in their lives. There's no denying it. They deserve more than due process. They deserve compassion.
Barred from going inside last weekend, Wenski and the other bikers knelt outside the barbed wire as the archbishop led a prayer for the people inside.
'Common decency demands that chaplains and pastoral ministers be able to serve those in custody — for their benefit and for the benefit of the staff,' he told reporters. 'The people detained here are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters of anxious family members.'
He's absolutely right.
Backed by decades of advocacy immigrants, Wenski's call to conscience deserves full support — and a swift positive response. Spiritual care isn't a luxury. It's a human need, especially when people are facing exile, fear and profound loss.
Yes, supporters of mass deportation may argue that religion has no place at Alligator Alcatraz. That those who end up there deserve no special treatment or comfort because they are undocumented.
But to deny access to chaplains is to strip those detained of their dignity — and reduce them to something less than human.
Wenski's unexpected appearance at Alligator Alcatraz was more than a photo op. He used his standing as the highest-ranking Catholic in South Florida to defend those inside.
For Wenski — long known for his activism during his early years in the Miami clergy — this was a continuation of his long record of championing Haitians, Cubans and all immigrants in Miami-Dade.
He also condemned the cruel rhetoric used by some politicians, who have described the detainees as being guarded by 'pythons and alligators.' He called it plain mean. He's right.
He's also right to fight for spiritual care inside Alligator Alcatraz. Reports from visitors describe overcrowded, sweltering tents, people held in cages and limited medical access.
In this bleak scenario, faith can bring peace of mind and human comfort — and it doesn't interfere with the government's immigration enforcement. We support Wenski's call for humanity and spiritual guidance at Alligator Alcatraz.
Wenski is showing moral and spiritual leadership. We should listen.