Florida Catholic bishops appealed to President Donald Trump for a Christmas pause on immigration raids, citing fear in communities during the holiday season.
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Florida’sCatholicbishopsmadeanappealonMondayforapauseinimmigrationenforcementfortheChristmasholidays,buttheWhiteHousesaidoperationswillcontinue.
TheappealtoPresidentDonaldTrumpandFloridaGov.RonDeSantiswasissuedbyMiamiArchbishopThomasWenskiandsignedbysevenothermembersoftheFloridaConferenceofCatholicBishops.
“Theborderhasbeensecured,”Wenskiwrote.“Theinitialworkofidentifyingandremovingdangerouscriminalshasbeenaccomplishedtoagreatdegree.Overhalfamillionpeoplehavebeendeportedthisyear,andnearlytwomillionmorehavevoluntarilyself-deported.”
“Atthispoint,themaximumenforcementapproachoftreatingirregularimmigrantsenmassemeansthatnowmanyofthesearrestoperationsinevitablysweepupnumbersofpeoplewhoarenotcriminalsbutjustheretowork,”hecontinued.“ItshouldbenotedthatasignificantmajorityofthosedetainedinAlligatorAlcatraz
