Pope Francis issued a strong criticism on Tuesday regarding the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans, cautioning that expelling individuals solely based on their illegal status strips them of their dignity and will have dire consequences.
In an unprecedented move, Francis directly addressed the U.S. crackdown on migrants through a letter to American bishops, appearing to challenge Vice President JD Vance’s theological defense of the deportation strategy.
U.S. border czar Tom Homan promptly dismissed the pope’s comments, pointing out that the Vatican is a city-state enclosed by walls and arguing that border security should remain under his jurisdiction.
As the first Latin American pontiff, Francis has long prioritized the rights and welfare of migrants, frequently citing biblical teachings that emphasize welcoming strangers. He has called on nations to provide protection, integration, and support to those fleeing violence, poverty, and environmental crises, though he acknowledges that governments must operate within their means.
Tensions between the Argentine Jesuit and President Donald Trump on immigration matters date back to Trump’s first campaign. In 2016, Francis famously declared that anyone who builds walls to keep migrants out was “not a Christian.”
In his letter, Francis acknowledged the right of countries to ensure security and safeguard their communities from criminal threats.
“That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” he wrote.
Referencing the Book of Exodus and Jesus Christ’s own experiences, Francis defended the right of people to seek safety in other countries. He described the deportation plan as a “major crisis” unfolding in the United States.
He urged Christians to critically assess policies that conflate undocumented status with criminal behavior.
“Anyone schooled in Christianity cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality,” he said.
Francis further warned that policies rooted in force rather than fundamental human dignity are doomed to fail.
“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” he cautioned.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed gratitude for the pope’s message in his response.
“With you, we pray that the U.S. government keep its prior commitments to help those in desperate need,” Broglio wrote. “Boldly I ask for your continued prayers so that we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reported last week that over 8,000 people had been arrested in immigration raids since Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Some individuals have already been deported, while others remain in federal custody, including at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
Vance, a Catholic convert, has defended the administration’s hardline immigration approach by invoking the medieval Catholic concept of “ordo amoris,” which describes a hierarchy of love—placing family first, followed by neighbors, local communities, and then the broader world.
Francis appeared to challenge Vance’s interpretation in his letter.
“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,” he wrote. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
David Gibson, director of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture, remarked on social media that Francis’ letter directly countered Vance’s theological claims.
“[It] takes aim at every single absurd theological claim by JD Vance and his allies in conservative Catholicism (and the Catholic electorate),” Gibson posted.
Vance’s argument had gained traction among conservative Catholics, including the Catholic League, which backed his interpretation of the hierarchy of Christian love.
In Crisis Magazine, editor Eric Sammons defended Vance’s stance, citing the teachings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.
“For Augustine, every love, even the love of neighbor, must be ordered beneath the love of God,” Sammons wrote. “This hierarchy extends to our human relationships where love for family, community, and nation should precede our love for the world at large, not in intensity but in priority of duty and responsibility.”
Homan, also a Catholic, dismissed the pope’s stance and argued that Francis should focus on Church affairs rather than U.S. border policy.
“He wants to attack us for securing our border. He’s got a wall around the Vatican, does he not?” Homan told reporters in a video posted by The Hill. “So he’s got a wall around that protects his people and himself, but we can’t have a wall around the United States.”
The Vatican, a 44-hectare (108-acre) walled city-state within Rome, has also implemented strict border measures. A law enacted in December imposes prison sentences of up to four years and fines of up to 25,000 euros ($25,873) on those who enter illegally using force, threats, or deception to bypass security.
The U.S. bishops conference had previously criticized Trump’s immigration policies, calling them “deeply troubling” in an unusually strong statement. The bishops warned that measures concerning immigration, foreign aid, capital punishment, and environmental policies would have harmful consequences, especially for vulnerable populations.
This marked a notable rebuke from the Catholic hierarchy in the U.S., which has traditionally prioritized opposition to abortion as a central political concern. Many bishops had previously supported the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision—enabled by Trump-appointed justices—to overturn constitutional protections for abortion.
Despite tensions between the Church and Trump’s policies, Catholic voters helped secure his victory in the 2024 election, giving him 54% of their votes—a notable increase from the 50% he received in 2020 when he ran against President Joe Biden, a fellow Catholic.
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, who leads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ migration committee, welcomed the pope’s letter as an important source of support in a challenging climate.
“We are dealing with these very threatening circumstances towards immigrants, towards our immigrant brothers and sisters, and also towards those who assist them in any way,” Seitz stated.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Seitz emphasized that while it’s important to acknowledge the concerns of Americans, including Catholic Trump supporters, regarding immigration, Church leaders must continue to uphold its teachings.
“But we have to just steadfastly announce the truth as best we understand it, both in terms of the teaching of the church and the reality on the ground,” he added.