By Gina Christian, OSV News
Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami and some 25 Knights of Columbus saddled up their motorcycles to pray a rosary at the entrance of Alligator Alcatraz, the controversial migrant detention center recently opened in the Florida Everglades.
The archbishop posted images of the July 20 gathering to his X account, saying that he and his fellow riders — members of the Knights of Columbus’ Knights on Bikes International fraternal organization — “stopped at the entrance of Alligator Alcatraz and prayed a rosary for the detainees.”
Images shared by the archbishop showed the men standing in a circle, bikes parked and heads bowed in prayer, with the Knights of Columbus logo and a cross prominently stitched on the back of their vests.
In his post, Archbishop Wenski noted that the Archdiocese of Miami “is still waiting for approval to access” Alligator Alcatraz “to provide Mass for detainees.”
According to a recent report by organizations affiliated with Catholic and evangelical Christian churches, Christians account for approximately 80% of all of those at risk of deportation. The Christians most at risk of deportation are Catholics, 61% of the total.
Alligator Alcatraz, located some 55 miles from downtown Miami at the Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport, consists of tents with groups of bunk beds in cage-like units of chain-link fencing, and exposed communal toilets.
Water, sewage management, power and air conditioning are supplied by portable units, according to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The facility, estimated to hold 3,000 people, has plans to be expanded to accommodate 5,000.
Alligator Alcatraz has drawn condemnation from clergy and Democratic lawmakers alike for its conditions and location — with Trump, Homeland Security Security Kristi Noem and DeSantis, a Catholic, touting the hostile environment as a security feature and immigration deterrent during their July 1 tour inaugurating the opening of the facility.
“It basically is in a swamp,” Archbishop Wenski told OSV News in a July 15 interview. “There are numerous alligators and pythons (and) boa constrictors, and tons and tons of mosquitoes.”
The tarmac on which the tents have been built “becomes even hotter because it’s reflecting the heat of the day,” he said.
Detainees have told The New York Times that the frequent rains have created leaks and insect intrusions, while access to showers, full meals and medication is limited. Illness, sleep deprivation and unrest is also in evidence, they said.
NBC 6 South Florida reported that from July 1-18, there were 34 emergency calls to 911 from Alligator Alcatraz, an average of two per day.
Speaking to OSV News July 15, Archbishop Wenski also noted that the site is “far removed from hospitals.”
One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Times that most of those detained at Alligator Alcatraz do not have criminal convictions.
Records obtained by The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times show only a third of those currently housed at the site have criminal histories.
“There’s more questions than answers about this place,” Archbishop Wenski told OSV News July 15.
He said, “We don’t want dangerous people walking the streets freely. But the majority of the immigrants are not bad actors. They’re basically people that have tried to, through hard work, create a future of hope for themselves and their children. And as such, they have contributed to the prosperity of our nation. And some have done so for years, even decades.”
The archbishop added, “There’s no home to go back to, because home is here.”
