1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

On July 18, 2025, your office wrote: “Alligator Alcatraz is simply a detention site for dangerous criminals who do not belong in the United States.” That statement is misleading at best—and profoundly troubling coming from someone who claims to follow the teachings of Jesus. As of this writing, ICE is detaining 56,816 people. Over 70% of them have not been convicted of any crime. Many have not had access to due process or legal counsel. There has been no independent verification of their immigration status, and it is entirely possible that some are lawful residents or even U.S. citizens. But even more concerning is what you failed to address: the conditions in which these human beings are being held. Thousands are confined in canvas tents in swamp heat—without plumbing, sanitation, or mosquito control. This isn’t just inefficient or unsafe—it’s inhumane. And for someone who professes Christian values, it should also be unacceptable. The Gospel calls on us to care for the stranger, to show mercy, to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus did not make exceptions for those accused of wrongdoing. He dined with the outcast, washed the feet of the condemned, and reminded his followers that “whatever you did for one of the least of these... you did for me.” Even if every person detained at Alligator Alcatraz were guilty of a crime—and they are not—they would still be deserving of basic human dignity. That is a moral and spiritual truth, not a partisan one. I urge you to reconsider your silence. Speak out. Demand humane treatment. And ask yourself honestly: would Jesus look away?