Pastors Not Allowed to Comfort Unaccompanied Children in Border Facilities

Russ Jones | Christian Press | Updated: Jul 10, 2014

Pastors Not Allowed to Comfort Unaccompanied Children in Border Facilities

Fox News and Commentary host Todd Starnes reports that churches and pastors have been banned from helping the thousands of unaccompanied children housed in border detention facilities run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“Border Patrol told us pastors and churches are not allowed to visit,” Kyle Coffin, the pastor of CrossRoads Church in Tucson, Arizona told Starnes. “It’s pretty heartbreaking that they don’t let anybody in there -- even credentialed pastors.”

Coffin and a team of volunteers were turned away at the Nogales Placement Center from providing toys, friendship, spiritual encouragement and prayer.

“We just wanted to go down there and have a presence because we care about people,” he said. “That’s all we wanted to do. For the church to be available sends a message that the church cares.”

According to Starnes Baptist Child and Family Services of San Antonio, Texas were also denied access to the children. 

“It was heartbreaking,” the anonymous counselor said. “The church needs to become involved. The spiritual needs of these children need to be tended to.”

Starnes concluded his column stating, “…I’m afraid under this administration, the government believes they are church and President Obama is the deity. Heaven help us all.”

Publication date: July 10, 2010



Pastors Not Allowed to Comfort Unaccompanied Children in Border Facilities