The Trump administration gave a brief two-sentence statement refusing the request and that made no mention of Christmas

07:17 ET, 24 Dec 2025

View 2 ImagesArchbishop Thomas Wenski wrote to the Trump administration

Catholic bishops in the US have made a desperate plea to President Donald Trump, urging him to temporarily halt immigration raids over the Christmas period.

The White House responded by suggesting operations would continue without interruption.

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The request came from Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski and was backed by seven additional members of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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"The border has been secured. The initial work of identifying and removing dangerous criminals has been accomplished to a great degree," Wenski wrote. "At this point, the maximum enforcement approach of treating irregular immigrants en masse means that now many of these arrest operations inevitably sweep up numbers of people who are not criminals but just here to work.

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"A climate of fear and anxiety is infecting not only the irregular migrant but also family members and neighbors who are legally in the country," he added.

"Since these effects are part of enforcement operations, we request that the government pause apprehension and round-up activities during the Christmas season. Such a pause would show a decent regard for the humanity of these families."

In an email response, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson offered a brief two-sentence statement that made no reference to the festive season.

View 2 ImagesICE raids have shocked millions across the country

"President Trump was elected based on his promise to the American people to deport criminal illegal aliens. And he's keeping that promise," Jackson wrote. Wenski has built a strong reputation as a vocal champion for the humane treatment of migrants.

Last September, he appeared alongside fellow Catholic leaders at a Georgetown University panel, condemning the Trump administration's strict immigration policies for separating families, creating widespread fear and disrupting church communities.

During his remarks, Wenski emphasized the vital economic contributions immigrants make to the nation.

"If you ask people in agriculture, you ask in the service industry, you ask people in health care, you ask the people in the construction field, and they'll tell you that some of their best workers are immigrants," said Wenski. "Enforcement is always going to be part of any immigration policy, but we have to rationalize it and humanize it."

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Wenski participated in the "Knights on Bikes" ministry, a Knights of Columbus program that highlights the spiritual needs of individuals detained at immigration facilities, including the Florida Everglades center known as "Alligator Alcatraz."

He remembered reciting the rosary with the motorcyclists in sweltering conditions outside the facility's perimeter. Shortly afterward, he secured authorization to hold Mass within the detention center.

"The fact that we invite these detainees to pray, even in this very dehumanizing situation, is a way of emphasizing and invoking their dignity," he said.