‘Simply repugnant.’ Faith leaders, some Pedro Pan Cubans answer DeSantis on immigration
Miami faith leaders and some Cubans who came to Florida through Operation Pedro Pan slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday, after he said comparing Pedro Pan kids who arrived in the ‘60s to unaccompanied minors today was “disgusting.”
“Let me tell you what I think is disgusting: a proposed heartless policy toward immigrant children, defenseless and vulnerable. It’s simply repugnant,” said Mike Fernandez, a Cuban exile and former Republican donor who left the party.
The group of local leaders, which also included immigration advocates and business leaders, hosted a press conference at the Archdiocese of Miami in Miami Shores just days after DeSantis visited the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, surrounded by a group of supporters, some of whom were also members of the Operation Pedro Pan organization.
It is the latest point of tension among members of the Pedro Pan community who’ve taken opposite sides of the immigration debate as DeSantis targets shelters that house unaccompanied minors until they can be placed with relatives or sponsors in the U.S.
One particular shelter in Miami, the Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village, has drawn attention for being the Catholic church’s shelter for Cuban children who were sent to the U.S. on their own in the early 1960s. Fear had spread on the island that the communist government would indoctrinate Cuban children, and many parents opted to send their children away.
Since then, that shelter has continued to house unaccompanied minors for the federal government.
“The lack of solidarity from a group of former, unaccompanied minors from Cuba [toward] similarly situated children today was certainly disappointing,” said Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, who has been a vocal critic of DeSantis’ immigration orders. “Even while recognizing the good care afforded to them by Catholic Charities 60 years ago, they begrudge that same care being extended to migrant children today.”
“Monsignor Bryan O. Walsh, the revered father of Operation Pedro Pan, is rolling over in his grave,” Wenski added.
On Monday, DeSantis argued that Pedro Pan children were fleeing a communist regime with the endorsement of the U.S. government, and that it was different from children who are trafficked as part of what his administration calls a “human-smuggling operation.” DeSantis, who is a prospective 2024 presidential candidate, has frequently attacked President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
The Florida Department of Children and Families released a new proposed permanent rule Thursday that would formalize the announcement from last year and prohibit issuing or renewing licenses to shelters that house unaccompanied minors on behalf of the federal government. DCF specifies that the state’s refugee program will not be impacted with the new rule. There are currently 16 shelters in Florida that house unaccompanied minors.
In the rule, DCF says that the only way the federal government can house immigrant children in Florida is if they enter a “cooperative agreement,” something the state has previously suggested would have to entail information sharing between the federal and state government.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the office responsible for the shelters that house unaccompanied minors, said in a statement Friday they were “currently examining all the legal options available” to keep working with Florida’s shelters.
“It is our legal responsibility to safely care for unaccompanied children,” said the spokesperson. “We will take every step needed to support our partners and ensure that the children under our care are in a safe and secure environment.”
Some of the staff at shelters in Florida that are contracted by the federal government to house migrant children have spoken out against the new policy. Experts have also expressed concern over the potential impact the rule might have on the mental health of children if shelters are forced to relocate them outside of the state.
“I’m here today to add my voice to the many of us who wish to preserve America as a beacon of hope and opportunity,” said Eduardo Padrón, former president of Miami-Dade College and a Pedro Pan kid himself.
Padrón said he was concerned about twin bills that are also being considered in the Legislature that would penalize companies that contract with the state and transport immigrants throughout the state from the U.S. Southern border.
“The current policies being considered in Tallahassee are ill-advised and totally misguided,” he said. “It is our moral duty to protect these children. They have already endured enough suffering. Let’s not allow these children to be used as a political football. Let’s stop playing politics with immigrant children.”
Miami Herald staff writer Ana Ceballos contributed to this story.
This story was updated on Friday, February 11, 2022, to include a statement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 8:29 PM.
