Pope Leo XIV is ramping up his efforts to challenge President Trump’s immigration stance.
According to a report from Reuters, Leo convened with American bishops at the Vatican last Wednesday, where he passionately urged them to publicly denounce the administration’s strategy of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.
Since his election in May, Leo, the first American Pontiff in history, has received an overwhelming number of letters from immigrants and progressive activists voicing their grievances regarding the current immigration policies.
“Our Holy Father is deeply concerned about these issues,” remarked El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, who was present at the meeting, emphasizing the Pope’s commitment to advocating for the vulnerable.
“He made it clear that he hopes the U.S. Bishops’ Conference will take a strong stance on this matter.”
The Vatican has yet to release an official statement regarding the meeting, but the content aligns closely with the recent rhetoric championed by Leo.
During a gathering of thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Leo expressed that migrants ought not to be treated with “the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination.”
While not directly targeting any specific nation, Leo urged Catholics to “open our arms and hearts to them, welcoming them as brothers and sisters, and serving as a source of consolation and hope.”
The Pope highlighted that the Church is navigating through a “new missionary age,” one that calls on its followers to extend “hospitality and welcome, compassion and solidarity” to migrants arriving in the West.
“In communities rich in ancient Christian traditions, like those in the West, the arrival of many brothers and sisters from the global South should be viewed as an opportunity for mutual enrichment and exchange that revitalizes the Church,” he added.
These statements followed closely on the heels of Leo’s critique of the Trump administration’s self-identification as “pro-life,” particularly in light of its aggressive deportation policies.
“Someone who claims to be against abortion, yet supports the death penalty, cannot genuinely be considered pro-life,” he articulated. “Similarly, if one opposes abortion but condones the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States, I question the validity of their pro-life stance.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt promptly dismissed his assertions.
“I must reject any claims of inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants in the United States under this administration,” she stated. “However, it is essential to remember the significant inhumane treatment that illegal immigrants faced during the previous administration, who were often trafficked, assaulted, or tragically even killed at our southern border.”
Karoline Leavitt — Donald Trump’s Catholic press secretary — refutes Pope Leo’s assertion that migrants receive inhumane treatment in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/YWjSyeQiy8
— Christopher Hale (@chrisjollyhale) October 1, 2025
