Migrant minors dispute pits Florida against Catholic Church
MIAMI (AP) — The debate over whether to deter or accommodate minors arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents has pitted Florida's Catholic governor against the state's highest-ranking Roman Catholic.
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, and other faith leaders have implored the governor to reconsider an order that suspends renewals of state licenses for shelters that house unaccompanied children, saying these young migrants are vulnerable. The governor says he wants to deter human trafficking and accuses the Biden administration of being lax in cracking down on illegal immigration.
Emerging in recent weeks, the split came into sharp focus when a spokeswoman for Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted about Wenski's comment at a recent press conference that DeSantis had referred to the unaccompanied minors as “disgusting,” although the governor didn't say that.
“Lying is a sin,” DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw tweeted Tuesday, showing an ad that included a photo of Wenski. That drew vehement reactions online from backers of Wenski and his position that, although the Biden administration's immigration policy may be “chaotic,” the state should exercise “magnanimity” with those who arrive, especially children.
This “Eyes on Trafficking” story is reprinted from the Associated Press.
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