Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday voiced strong support for U.S. bishops who criticized the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, urging Americans to heed their concerns and treat migrants with humanity.
Asked about the “special message” adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last week, the first American pope noted their concerns. The bishops’ statement condemned the Trump administration’s mass deportations and the “vilification” of illegal immigrants, highlighting the fear caused by immigration raids and the lack of pastoral access for detainees.
“I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have,” said the Chicago-born Leo. “If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts; there’s a system of justice.”
Speaking to reporters as he left the papal residence south of Rome, Leo acknowledged flaws in the U.S. immigration system. But he emphasized that no one is calling for open borders and that every nation has the right to decide who may enter and under what conditions.
“But when people are living good lives — and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years — to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least — and there’s been some violence, unfortunately — I think that the bishops have been very clear in what they said,” he said. “I would just invite all people in the United States to listen to them.”
The bishops’ “special message” was unusual — their first single-issue statement at a meeting since 2013. They released it alongside an Instagram video featuring several bishops reading the text on camera.
REPORT: Pro-Migration Groups Push Pope to Cheerlead for Mass Migration
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