The Archdiocese of Miami on Monday is asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump to pause immigration enforcement during the holiday season.
The Bishops of the Catholic Church in Florida sent a letter to both DeSantis and the governor, asking that the government stop “Apprehensions and round-up activities during the Christmas season.”
Archbishop Thomas Wenski spoke during a press conference on Monday.
“Give people these two weeks to be with their families, without fear of being arrested or taken into custody and ending up at Alligator Alcatraz, at Krome, or other places to await deportation,” Wenski said.
In his appeal, Archbishop Wenski claims that over half a million people have been deported this year and nearly 2 million more have voluntarily self-deported, stating that many of the arrest operations have swept up people who are not criminals, but individuals who come to Florida to work, with some having legal authorization to be here.
He stated that a pause in operations would show humanity for these families and would allow them to remain together during the holiday season and not cause further suffering.
“This has created a real climate of fear in our communities,” he said. “One church told me that after a round-up in their neighborhood, the mass attendance that Sunday went down by 30% from a church that would get over 1,000, 2,000 people, down 30%.”
Since each branch of government has its own enforcement policies, it remains to be seen what their response to the letter will be.