Latest news with #ThomasWenski
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
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Miami Beach condemns ‘dehumanizing rhetoric' surrounding Alligator Alcatraz
City commissioners in Miami Beach are condemning the recent barrage of 'rhetoric that dehumanizes immigrants and promotes violence, cruelty and wrongful detention,' particularly surrounding the controversial Everglades detention site known as Alligator Alcatraz. An official statement unanimously approved by the commission on Wednesday said the city's elected leaders on the nonpartisan board felt compelled 'to speak out clearly and unequivocally against the growing use of violent and dehumanizing rhetoric directed at immigrants — rhetoric that threatens the safety, dignity and well-being of thousands of families who call Miami Beach home.' It also rejected 'statements by national leaders' and the promotion of 'hunting down, caging, wrongful detention, or celebrating harm against immigrants, including the use of deadly wildlife such as alligators in the Everglades.' The statement makes Miami Beach one of the first Florida cities to formally oppose Alligator Alcatraz and the national political discourse supporting the detention center. But it comes amid a loudening chorus of criticism from individual political and religious leaders in South Florida. Miami-Dade's top Catholic official, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, earlier this month condemned the rhetoric surrounding Alligator Alcatraz as 'intentionally provocative' and 'corrosive of the common good.' Wenski recently visited the detention facility to pray for detainees held there and has said that 'unbecoming' comments from public officials portraying migrants as prey or criminals are 'making America mean.' Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has also expressed concerns about the facility. While the Miami Beach City Commission unanimously passed the statement of condemnation, what's officially called a 'resolution,' commissioners did not actually discuss the matter or comment further during the meeting. Sponsored by Commissioners Alex Fernandez and Tanya K. Bhatt, the resolution was endorsed by the city's Hispanic Affairs Committee and immigrant rights groups. Fernandez, the son of an immigrant family, told the Miami Herald on Thursday that the opening of Alligator Alcatraz earlier this month spurred him to draft the resolution. 'The rhetoric has escalated beyond a debate on border policy. There's a conscious effort to dehumanize immigrants. This resolution draws a moral line,' Fernandez said. 'We won't be silent in the face of cruelty. This is a normalization of hate and violent rhetoric.' The Herald has previously reported on the 'gator bait' trope in Florida's history, a Jim Crow-era joke that dehumanized Black people, depicting them as bait to lure and kill alligators. 'Basically, the same kind of anger, the same kind of resentment is now being transferred to immigrants,' historian Marvin Dunn told the Herald. The resolution details comments President Donald Trump made around Alligator Alcatraz as 'echoing historically dangerous language used to justify exclusion and violence' and notes 'the real-life consequences' for local residents. Specifically mentioned was the case of Josué Aguilar Valle, a Honduran immigrant and 2018 Miami Beach High School graduate with no criminal record who was arrested by authorities after an appointment at a Kendall immigration office and deported. Fernandez said it was the first time in recent memory his colleagues on the commission had stood together behind a social issue with 'no questions asked.' 'For months, I've carried the frustration of wanting to do more for those in our community who are afraid to call 911, go to the hospital or use basic city services,' Fernandez said. 'That has been one of the hardest parts of serving as a Hispanic elected official — knowing the limits of what I can legally do, even when in my heart I want to do more.' The Miami Beach resolution carries no legal power, but city officials said it affirmed Miami Beach's values, upholding the dignity of immigrants amid the current climate of fear. 'It opens up the conversation,' said Bhatt, the resolution's co-sponsor, who refuses to use the name Alligator Alcatraz. 'It's offensive to give it a catchy name. Call it what it is — an internment center. It's exactly what we saw in World War II, with the internment of Japanese citizens,' she told the Herald. 'We can't effect change at that facility, but we can exert pressure by empowering people to speak up about what they know is correct.'
CBS News
21-07-2025
- CBS News
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski rides Harley to Alligator Alcatraz detention center, leads Rosary for detainees
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski rode his Harley-Davidson on Sunday, leading a group of 25 members of the Archdiocese of Miami's Knights on Bikes ministry to the gates of the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility, where he led a Rosary and offered prayers for the men and women held inside. Wenski parked his Harley alongside the others at the facility's entrance in a public demonstration of what he called "prayerful solidarity." "Decency requires that we remember the individuals being detained are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters of distressed relatives," Wenski said. "We wish to ensure that chaplains and pastoral ministers can serve those in custody, to their benefit and that of the staff." In a statement, the Archdiocese of Miami said the visit reflects its ongoing commitment to ministering to incarcerated and marginalized populations. While the archdiocese has not yet received formal approval to enter the facility and celebrate Mass, officials said Wenski's visit underscores the Church's mission of mercy and accompaniment. They remain hopeful that access will be granted, allowing clergy to provide the sacraments and pastoral care to those in detention. Earlier this month, Wenski spoke out against the recent surge in immigration arrests and deportations. "We all want to make America great again, but you're not going to make America great by making America mean," he said.
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.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Miami Archbishop shreds MAGA's praise of Alligator Alcatraz amid reports of inhumane conditions: ‘Unbecoming of public officials'
Miami's Archbishop Thomas Wenski has condemned public officials' rhetoric praising Alligator Alcatraz, the remote ICE detention center in the Florida Everglades. The detention center, built near alligator-infested waters, opened on July 1 with a visit from President Donald Trump. There, the president joked that immigrants who attempt to escape the prison could be eaten by alligators. Florida Republicans have also used the detention center to boost fundraising, selling branded merchandise bearing its name. Now, Wenski has hit back against those who have praised the pop-up prison, branding it 'intentionally provocative' and 'unbecoming.' 'It is alarming to see enforcement tactics that treat all irregular immigrants as dangerous criminals,' Wenski said. 'It is unbecoming of public officials and corrosive of the common good to speak of the deterrence value of 'alligators and pythons' at the Collier-Dade facility,' he added. The center is designed to hold 3,000 to 5,000 people, but officials are currently detaining people inside large metal enclosures covered by tents. Wenski said he's concerned these tents can't protect people from Florida's extreme weather, and noted that the detention center is in an isolated area far from a hospital. Wenski isn't the only one sounding the alarm on the conditions there either. Leamsy 'La Figura' Izquierdo, a Cuban artist who was arrested in Miami last week, told CBS News that detainees have 'no water to take a bath,' are fed once a day with maggot-infested food and don't have access to toothpaste. 'They only brought a meal once a day and it has maggots,' he said. 'They never take off the lights for 24 hours. The mosquitoes are as big as elephants.' An unnamed Colombian detainee also told CBS News he was denied access to his medication for days. 'I'm on the edge of losing my mind. I've gone three days without taking my medicine," he said. "It is impossible to sleep with this white light that's on all day.' The American Civil Liberties Union has denounced the center and raised concerns about the conditions. 'This project dehumanizes people, strips them of their rights, and diverts public dollars from the services our communities need,' Bacardi Jackson, the executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said. Several other Catholic leaders have also spoken out against the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas said members of the nation's sixth-largest Catholic community are excused from attending mass over 'genuine fear' of immigration enforcement actions that have rocked communities across Los Angeles and surrounding neighborhoods. accused the administration of having 'no immigration policy beyond the stated goal of deporting thousands of people each day.' 'This is not policy, it is punishment, and it can only result in cruel and arbitrary outcomes,' Gomez continued. 'Already we are hearing stories of innocent fathers and mothers being wrongly deported, with no recourse to appeal.'
