In Washington on December 23, Catholic bishops from Florida have made a formal appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to suspend immigration enforcement operations until after the Christmas season concludes.
"Such a pause would show a decent regard for the humanity of these families. Now is not the time to be callous toward the suffering caused by immigration enforcement," the bishops stated in their Monday correspondence addressed to both Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
White House representative Abigail Jackson responded on Tuesday, asserting, "President Trump was elected based on his promise to the American people to deport criminal illegal aliens. And he’s keeping that promise."
Governor DeSantis's office has not provided an immediate comment on the matter.
Over the past year, the Trump administration has intensified its immigration enforcement efforts, focusing on apprehending and deporting migrants deemed to be dangerous criminals.
Additionally, the administration has revoked policies that previously restricted immigration arrests near sensitive locations such as churches, hospitals, and schools, while deploying federal agents nationwide to increase arrest activities.
Although the administration maintains that its enforcement targets criminals, official data indicates a rise in arrests of individuals not charged with crimes beyond alleged immigration violations compared to earlier administrations.
Despite public scrutiny over the crackdown, plans are underway to expand these measures in the upcoming year.
This appeal follows a rare condemnation issued over a month ago by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops against the administration's immigration policies, advocating for "meaningful immigration reform." In October, Pope Leo also expressed concerns regarding the mistreatment of immigrants.
