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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Florida should listen to Miami archbishop: Detained migrants need spiritual comfort
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.
Miami Herald
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Miami archbishop asks to hold Mass at Alligator Alcatraz. ‘Still waiting' for answer
Miami's top Catholic leader stopped by the state's controversial Everglades detention center for migrants during a Sunday motorcycle ride with dozens of other Catholic bikers. Archbishop Thomas Wenski visited 'Alligator Alcatraz,' Florida's new migrant detention center located in an isolated airstrip near the Big Cypress National Preserve, to pray for for detainees. But the entrance of the facility is as far as he was able to go without approval from officials. 'Sunday PM about 25 Knights on Bikes stopped at entrance of Alligator Alcatraz and prayed a rosary for the detainees,' Wenski wrote on a post on X. 'Archdiocese is still waiting for approval to access to provide Mass for detainees.' Officials at the Archdiocese said they are still awaiting a response from the facility to allow chaplains and clergy to visit and 'offer spiritual care, the sacraments, and the healing presence of Christ to those in detention.' Wenski, who recently denounced the detention center, was joined by around 25 'Knights on Bikes,' a charitable Catholic men's ministry within the Knights of Columbus organization, and shared photos and videos of the pastoral excursion. The Archdiocese of Miami called the visit 'a powerful moment of prayerful solidarity,' that reflects the organization's 'ongoing commitment to ministering to the marginalized and incarcerated.' '...Decency requires that we remember the individuals being detained are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters of distressed relatives,' Wenski said in a statement. 'We wish to ensure that chaplains and pastoral ministers can serve those in custody, to their benefit and that of the staff.' Sunday's motorcycle visit is the second act of solidarity the Catholic church has shown in recent weeks to oppose Florida's crackdown on deportations. In a prior statement, Wenski said it was 'alarming to see enforcement tactics that treat all irregular immigrants as dangerous criminals.' In the strongly word column posted to the Archdiocese of Miami's website earlier this month, Wenski said 'the apparent lack of due process in deportation proceedings in recent months,' was surprising and called the rhetoric surrounding the 'Alligator Alcatraz' 'intentionally provocative.' Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials have repeatedly defended conditions for detainees at the pop-up migrant camp. Earlier this month, Stephanie Hartman, a spokeswoman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said detainees' stories about problems at the facility — including toilets that don't flush, large bugs and temperatures that fluctuate from icy to sweltering — were inaccurate. 'The reporting on the conditions in the facility is completely false,' Hartman told the Herald. 'The facility meets all required standards and is in good working order.' This story will be updated. This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
