Pope Francis shared a strong message with American Catholic leaders, criticizing President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Earlier this year, Francis called Trump’s plan to deport millions of immigrants a “disgrace.” The Pope urged all Catholics not to follow stories that treat undocumented immigrants unfairly, emphasizing that many of them are not criminals.
In a letter to the bishops, which was surprising for its directness, the Pope described the immigration situation as a major crisis for the U.S. He said, “Building systems based on power and not respecting the dignity of every person will lead to bad results.”
Trump, a Republican, recently returned to the White House promising to send many undocumented immigrants back to their home countries. He took strong actions to increase deportations, even using military resources for this purpose and allowing immigration officers to arrest people in schools, churches, and hospitals.
While he acknowledged a country’s right to protect itself from dangerous criminals, Trump also noted that deporting people who fled their homes due to poverty, danger, or unfair treatment harms their dignity and puts entire families at risk.
Pope Francis warned that Trump’s plan for the biggest deportation campaign in U.S. history would be a serious mistake, calling it a “calamity.”
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