Catholic Priests Barred From Ministering to Detained Migrants in Florida
Miami Archbishop slams lack of access at so-called 'Alligator Alcatraz', calling it a denial of dignity and faith.
WASHINGTON — Catholic clergy have been denied access to a controversial new immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, a move Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski says violates federal policy and deprives detainees of basic religious rights.
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Wenski told National Catholic Reporter that Catholic priests have been unable to enter the facility—nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”—since it opened July 3. Despite repeated efforts, neither state nor federal authorities have provided a timeline for access.
“They could build that place in less than a week,” Wenski said, “so it doesn’t seem that it should take two or three weeks to tell the archbishop of Miami his priest can go in to minister to the detainees.” ICE policy states that all detainees must be afforded “reasonable and equitable opportunities” to practice their faith.
Yet, the Miami Archdiocese says its requests for access have gone unanswered—despite the facility’s population likely including large numbers of Catholics from Latin America and Haiti.
On July 20, Wenski joined members of the Knights on Bikes outside the facility to pray the rosary for those detained. A Florida Highway Patrol officer blocked their entry but accepted a blessing from the archbishop.
The facility, funded by $450 million in state money and additional federal support, is operated by Florida’s Division of Emergency Management. Gov. Ron DeSantis has promoted it as a model for future immigration enforcement.
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Wenski says the site’s remote location—55 miles south of Miami—raises additional humanitarian concerns. Detainees have reported extreme temperatures, maggot-infested food, and confiscation of religious materials, including one man’s Bible.
According to ICE’s 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards, facilities must accommodate religious practices unless doing so presents a security threat. Wenski said the denial of religious services “is an unacceptable violation of freedom of religion.”
“Denying those religious services is, in many ways, denying their humanity,” he said. “That’s really not what we should be about.”
DeSantis, a Catholic and vocal supporter of religious liberty, has not responded to inquiries about the clergy access issue. His office declined comment.
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