Roman Catholic archbishops say Florida is infringing on religious expression for those detained at Alligator Alcatraz, the state’s migrant processing center in the Everglades.
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said since Alligator Alcatraz opened, communication has been dark on kickstarting ministry for detainees. The last he heard, it was confusion on whether the state or the feds needed to give approval.
“As you can imagine, (detainees are) probably going through a range of emotions, that some words of comfort from a religious figure might be important to them,” Wenski said.
The governor’s press office has not responded to a request for comment on ministry at Alligator Alcatraz. Florida’s emergency management division, which has previously responded to questions from reporters about the facility, did not respond for a request for comment on ministry efforts.
Prison ministry is a common service provided by religious organizations all across the country, and it’s not unusual in migrant detention centers. Wenski said he and other pastors go to Florida correctional facilities or Krome Detention Center regularly to speak with inmates, adding that ministry is central to the right for those detained to freely express their religion.
The message of hope can help people, even those not religious, Wenski said in an interview with the USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida. But that message isn’t being sent or received at Alligator Alcatraz, the immigration detention site in the Big Cypress National Preserve, he added.
“The right to worship is pretty universally acknowledged, and it would be unusual for the United States to deny that,” Wenski said.
The creation of Alligator Alcatraz was an effort to adhere to President Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration. His administration said its priority is to remove the “worst of the worst,” despite undocumented people being swept up who otherwise don’t have criminal backgrounds. The Trump and DeSantis administrations have, however, said being in the country without authorization alone is a crime.
Wenski prayed with Knights on Bikes, members of the Knights of Columbus who ride motorcycles, on July 20 outside the facility, to draw attention to the problem of getting inside Alligator Alcatraz for ministry.
The Trump administration also has vowed to increase the number of detention centers amid capacity concerns from critics. When it comes to Alligator Alcatraz, its critics have questioned its impact on the environment and whether the center is insulting to the “dignity of persons.”
“It is alarming to see enforcement strategies which treat all unauthorized immigrants as dangerous criminals,” Venice Bishop Frank Dewane said.
In a July 3 statement, just after Trump visited the facility, Dewane urged that Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda be “undertaken in a way that is targeted, humane and proportional.”
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Venice said that they joined the Miami diocese in reaching out to begin ministry at the facility, and Dewane said in a statement that he was concerned whether the facility would allow ministers and chaplains to “serve those in custody, to their benefit and that of the staff.”
DeSantis touts Florida as top in ‘religious liberty’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is Catholic, but often does not speak in detail about his religious beliefs or where he and his family currently worship.
He has touted that Florida was named the top state in religious liberty by the First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit Christian conservative legal organization. The institute’s media manager declined comment on this story, saying that the institute’s attorney has not reviewed the detention center’s policies and procedures.
“Religious liberty is critical to the foundation and function of America, and I am proud that Florida excels in protecting this right,” DeSantis said in a statement July 14, responding to the First Liberty Institute’s recognition.
Immigrants’ rights to religious expression
The question of whether immigrants have First Amendment rights, including religious expression, is often complicated because its implications differ based on immigration status, such as whether they’re unauthorized or permanent residents, according to the Freedom Forum.
The Constitution does not specifically say whether it applies to only citizens, but instead it references the “people.” First Amendment protections can depend on whether someone is a lawful resident, here on a visa or is in the country without authorization.
The Freedom Forum wrote that the Supreme Court has not definitively ruled on whether those in the country illegally have First Amendment rights, and scholars have been split on this debate.
(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Catholic leaders: Florida infringes on detainees’ religious freedom at Alligator Alcatraz
Reporting by Stephany Matat, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
