Pope Leo has issued a powerful rebuke of the United States' treatment of immigrants, labelling it as 'extremely disrespectful' and backing a critical statement from US bishops. The remarks were made on Tuesday as he departed his papal residence in Castel Gandolfo.
Support for US Bishops' Stance
The Pontiff was responding to a statement adopted last week by US bishops during a special assembly. The bishops' declaration condemned the mass deportations and immigration raids conducted under the Trump administration, highlighting the fear and anxiety they cause within communities.
Pope Leo affirmed that the bishops' message was 'very important' and urged all Catholics to pay attention. 'I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have,' he told reporters.
A Call for Justice and Humanity
While acknowledging that every country has a right to control its borders, Pope Leo emphasised the need for a just process. 'If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts; there’s a system of justice,' he stated.
He expressed particular concern for individuals who have built lives in the US over many years. '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,' the Pope added.
An Escalating Critique
This is not the first time Pope Leo, the first US-born pontiff elected in May following the death of Pope Francis, has spoken out on this issue. His criticism of the Trump administration's immigration policies has grown stronger in recent weeks.
In September, he described the US's treatment of immigrants as 'inhuman'. The following month, he directly questioned the moral consistency of those who support such policies, asking, 'Someone who says I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.'
The Pope also used the occasion to deliver a strongly worded video message on the climate crisis to bishops at the Cop30 summit in Brazil, criticising the lack of political will to address the issue.
