Pope Leo XIV and US Catholic Bishops Criticize US Immigration Policy Amid Internal Church Tensions
Pope Leo XIV has publicly criticized US immigration policy, urging humane treatment of migrants and citing Gospel themes about welcoming the foreigner. This stance has been echoed by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which issued a rare Special Message expressing concern about immigrants and opposing indiscriminate mass deportations. This intervention has the backing of the Pope.
The relationship between the Trump administration and Catholic leadership remains tense. Some conservatives within the Catholic community have wanted the Pope to support a stricter immigration policy. However, White House officials, including border czar Tom Homan and press secretary Karoline Leavitt, have publicly challenged or rejected the Church's stance.
Public opinion among Catholics is divided along racial lines: about 60% of white Catholics support the Trump administration's immigration approach, while only around 30% of Hispanic Catholics do; Hispanics make up approximately 37% of US Catholics. Influential political Catholics, including figures like JD Vance, have views shaped by faith and a sense of responsibility to consider the humanity of migrants.
The Church, described as an immigrant church in the United States, faces internal tensions among clergy and laity regarding immigration policy and its consistency with Gospel values. Evidence of these tensions includes large-scale protests and legal action, such as a 2,000-person Mass outside an ICE detention center in Chicago and a federal lawsuit filed by the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership in Boston.
Within the USCCB, 216 bishops supported the Special Message, while five bishops voted against it and three abstained. Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima highlighted that indiscriminate deportation is inconsistent with Catholic teaching. These events showcase the complex and evolving dynamics between the Catholic Church and US immigration policy.
