(MIRAMAR, FLORIDA) South Florida faith leaders are pressing federal officials to adopt more compassionate immigration policies in 2025, urging a return to dignity and justice as immigrant families face stepped-up enforcement crackdowns at churches, schools, hospitals, and homes. Their calls, led by the Miramar Circle of Protection and backed by Catholic, Evangelical, and mainline Protestant clergy, follow the Trump administration’s decision to end protections for “sensitive locations” and to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several nationalities earlier this year.
Clergy say those moves have deepened fear across congregations and disrupted family life far beyond the immigration court docket. At rallies from Miramar to Coral Springs—where religious leaders joined the “Rage Against the Regime” protest—pastors and lay leaders condemned aggressive deportation tactics and conditions in detention centers, naming Alligator Alcatraz and Krome as examples. They argue the change in enforcement posture has made even prayer feel risky.
Some churches have drafted contingency plans in case pastors are detained, a step once unthinkable in communities that often serve as a first stop for families seeking help.
Policy changes and leadership appeals
Faith leaders say the turning point came with the rollback of prior federal guidance that had limited immigration enforcement in sacred spaces and other community hubs. With those protections gone, ICE and CBP now have wider latitude to act in houses of worship, schools, and hospitals.
Clergy describe a marked drop in church attendance as parents weigh whether a Sunday service could put them in harm’s way. The discomfort is not limited to the undocumented; documented parishioners with mixed-status families also report staying home.
Evangelical leaders, including Rev. Gabriel Salguero of Orlando, have appealed directly to President Trump, urging the administration to maintain humanitarian protections. Their letters stress that many TPS holders from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela are long-settled neighbors, taxpaying workers, and church volunteers.
The April 2025 termination of TPS for these groups placed hundreds of thousands at risk of deportation, cutting into local economies and straining schools, health systems, and parishes that had built ministries around families now facing removal. For official background on the humanitarian program at issue, see the U.S. government’s page on Temporary Protected Status.
Catholic leaders have echoed the call. Bishop William Wack of Pensacola-Tallahassee publicly urged the closure of detention centers and a turn toward humane alternatives, citing fear among both documented and undocumented parishioners.
Mainline Protestant leaders and the Evangelical Immigration Table, representing thousands of churches, continue to push for bipartisan, gospel-centered reform that pairs border security with protections for the vulnerable. Their message: Restore sensitive-location safeguards, reestablish TPS, and stop mass detention and deportations that split families.
Impact on congregations
The near-term effects in pews are immediate and practical:
- Parents skipping school events and community functions
- Patients postponing clinic visits
- Worship teams reshuffling schedules in case of arrest
- Youth programs moving online when attendance drops
- Food pantries extending hours for families afraid to visit during the day
Some clergy now accompany immigrants to court dates, prepared to witness—and when needed, publicly document—what they describe as “inhumane” practices, including immediate detention after hearings. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, faith-based accompaniment has grown in Florida as congregations try to reduce harm while policy fights play out in Washington and federal courts.
Legal uncertainty compounds the anxiety. While some lawsuits have led to limited rulings that temporarily restrict certain ICE actions in specific houses of worship, clergy stress that the broader legal landscape remains unsettled. Without clear, durable policy protections, families must choose daily between civic life and safety. For many parents, that means avoiding public spaces unless absolutely necessary, a choice that frays community ties and undercuts trust in local institutions.
Alternatives and moral framing
Advocates point to detention conditions—citing reports from Alligator Alcatraz and Krome—and argue that large-scale confinement is both costly and avoidable. They support community-based programs, case management, and alternatives to detention as measures that would:
- Meet court requirements
- Keep families together
- Reduce harm and improve compliance
Clergy frame this agenda as a moral duty rooted in faith and as sound public policy.
“Their platform includes reinstate sensitive-location protections; restore or extend TPS and other humanitarian programs; end mass detention and family separation; and pursue bipartisan reform anchored in compassionate immigration policies and the values of dignity and justice.”
They emphasize their appeal is not a rejection of border enforcement but a push for a balanced approach. They endorse lawful processes and screening while insisting enforcement crackdowns should not reach into sacred spaces or punish people with deep community ties.
Practical steps from faith communities
The Miramar Circle of Protection has become a focal point, coordinating vigils, meetings with federal officials, and trainings for congregations that want to support affected families. Clergy share practical steps for congregations and families:
- Prepare emergency childcare plans.
- Store key documents in a safe, accessible place.
- Identify legal counsel before a crisis arises.
- Establish buddy systems for medical visits and court appearances.
- Avoid spreading rumors; verify information before sharing.
They also urge calm and measured responses from pulpits: seek help, know your rights, and don’t go to appointments alone.
Direct appeals and community consequences
Direct appeals to the White House highlight the stakes. Evangelical pastors warn that targeting long-settled TPS holders will break families and drive workers from industries already short-staffed. Catholic bishops describe grief at parish funerals for relatives who could not travel to say goodbye, fearing they would not be allowed to return.
Mainline ministers note that removing choir directors, deacons, and youth mentors in bulk hollows out the very networks that stabilize neighborhoods.
Supporters of the administration’s approach argue that strong enforcement deters unlawful entry and protects public safety. Clergy respond that blanket tactics inside community spaces are counterproductive, pushing families deeper into the shadows and making it harder for local authorities to do their jobs.
They call for Congress to set clear lines for where and how enforcement should occur and to rebuild bipartisan trust after years of stalemate.
Legal status and demands as of October 24, 2025
As of October 24, 2025, lawsuits and advocacy continue on multiple fronts. Some court orders have set narrow limits in particular churches, but faith leaders say they need consistent, nationwide guidance that protects religious practice and family life.
They also want clear timelines on any TPS reviews, urging DHS to consider country conditions and the heavy community impacts of termination. In their view, short-term extensions paired with a legislative fix would prevent widespread disruption while Congress debates larger reforms.
Four pillars of the clergy platform
- Reinstate sensitive-location protections
- Restore or extend TPS and other humanitarian programs
- End mass detention and family separation
- Pursue bipartisan reform anchored in compassionate immigration policies and the values of dignity and justice
Conclusion
For now, congregations are adjusting in real time—shifting programs, extending services, and creating support networks to keep families intact and reduce avoidable harm until policy shifts arrive.
Whether those shifts happen through executive action, court rulings, or new legislation remains uncertain. The demand from South Florida’s faith community is clear: treat people with dignity and justice, even as the nation enforces its laws.
This Article in a Nutshell
South Florida faith leaders, organized through groups like the Miramar Circle of Protection and the Evangelical Immigration Table, are calling on federal authorities in 2025 to adopt more compassionate immigration policies. They oppose the rollback of sensitive-location protections and the April 2025 termination of TPS for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, arguing these moves heighten fear, reduce church attendance, and risk mass deportations. Clergy document disruptions—patients skipping clinics, youth programs moving online—and have expanded accompaniment to court dates. They advocate reinstating sensitive-location safeguards, restoring TPS, ending mass detention, and pursuing bipartisan reform while offering practical steps for congregations to support families during legal uncertainty.
