Rev. Esteban Rodriguez of the Centro Cristiano Pan de Vida in Kissimmee, Florida, joined other Latino religious leaders in the state to decry Gov. Ron DeSanti’s crackdown against immigrants.
Religion News said Rodriguez vowed to ‘stand up against’ Governor DeSantis’ proposed immigration package should it become a law.
Latino Clergy Members Unite Against DeSantis’ Immigrant Crackdown
Religion News says Reverend Rodriguez is part of Latino evangelicals opposing DeSantis’ immigration proposal.
The Florida governor’s proposal seeks to “prohibit local governments from issuing ID cards to unauthorized immigrants, mandate hospitals to collect data on the immigration status of patients, reverse legislation granting out-of-state tuition waivers for eligible “Dreamers” and require all employers in Florida to use E-Verify to determine employment eligibility.”
The report disclosed that under DeSantis’ proposal, Florida residents who “knowingly transport, conceal, or harbor” illegal immigrants face harsher penalties.
Accordingly, Latino religious leaders say they would rally their congregations and break the law to oppose DeSantis’ immigration package.
The news outlet noted that DeSantis is gearing up for a possible presidential run in 2024.
Rodriguez and other Latino evangelicals like him vowed their willingness to “break the law” if needed should the governor’s immigration package become law.
Rodriguez said they would do what the midwives during the Pharaoh’s reign did: defy the order to kill all Hebrew boys living in Egypt at the time to save Moses. The pastor added they would emulate such a defiant act to serve the immigrant population they serve.
Latino Pastors Fear Arrest Under DeSantis Proposal
The report noted the fear of Latino pastors about getting arrested for doing outreach in immigrant communities.
The news outlet said churches run by Latino clergy offer food and shelter to underserved communities, which include immigrants and unaccompanied immigrant children.
The news outlet added that pastors go with their ailing immigrant members to hospitals. They also ferry immigrant congregants to and from the church and their homes. Under the proposal, pastors fear outright arrest as they perform their ministerial duties to their flocks.
Carlos Carbajal, a Miami pastor whose church serves an immigrant population, says they would “betray the Gospel” if they let politicians like DeSantis affect how they decide for their congregations.
Latino Evangelicals’ Political Clout
The news report noted that despite belonging to a “relatively small demographic,” Latino evangelicals are among the country’s rapidly growing faith groups. The report said this makes their votes a potential dealbreaker for any presidential candidate.
Agustin Quiles, Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Bishops and Evangelical Institution’s director of government affairs, says the governor’s immigration proposal ‘could wake up the Latino evangelical community.’
Quiles’ group comprises over 2,500 congregations across Florida, Religion News disclosed.
Religion News said over 50% of the Latinos in Florida helped give DeSantis a fresh mandate during last year’s elections.
“Even though DeSantis uses some of our conservative values to gain the support of our community, when you touch the heart of our churches and the people that we love and care for … our pastors will not stand for this,” Quiles explained.
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