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Pope Leo Condemns Trump’s Deportation Policy, Warns US Bombings Risk Fueling Regional Tension
Pope Leo XIV has delivered his strongest rebuke yet of US President Donald Trump’s administration, urging “deep reflection” on how migrants are being treated and warning that Washington’s recent military actions could inflame tensions in Latin America.
Speaking outside his papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, the first US-born pope said many people in the United States had been “deeply affected” by Trump’s mass deportation policy. “There are people who have lived in the US for years and years never causing problems, who have been deeply affected,” he said, adding that every Christian would ultimately be judged on how they welcomed “the foreigner.”
Observers described the remarks as Pope Leo’s most direct criticism of the US government since his election six months ago. Catholic historian Austen Ivereigh noted, “I was struck by how direct his reference was because he’s obviously talking about the ICE round-ups. It’s very strong.”
Pope Leo’s latest comments follow a gradual shift from his earlier caution on geopolitical matters. Last month, he labelled Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants “inhuman,” a statement that unsettled conservative Catholics who had embraced him as an “American Pope.”
According to Ivereigh, “Now they’re waking up to the fact that Leo isn’t going to change church teaching for their sake. They realise that he’s very different from Francis in his style, but it’s the same teaching and priorities. He’s very much a continuation.”
Born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, Pope Leo spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru, an experience scholars say deeply shaped his views. Professor Anna Rowlands of Durham University observed that “he has lived in countries affected by these policies, and been welcomed himself as a migrant. He was in effect a migrant bishop.”
She added that Leo’s position on migration “offers an entirely orthodox response” rooted in a century-old Catholic tradition that emphasises family unity and pastoral care for displaced people.
When asked about reports of detainees being denied communion at an immigration facility near Chicago, the Pope replied, “I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people.”
Turning to US actions in Venezuela, Pope Leo criticised the bombing of ships suspected of carrying drugs, warning that such moves risk worsening instability. “I think that with violence we won’t win,” he said in Italian, urging dialogue instead. He added that the deployment of US Navy vessels near Venezuelan waters appeared to be increasing tension rather than working to “defend the peace.”
Analysts say the remarks mark a turning point in Pope Leo’s relationship with the Trump administration. “When the Pope speaks very definitely like this, it does put pressure on the US administration – particularly those who identify as Catholics,” Ivereigh said. “So far, Leo’s avoided getting entangled in the whole Trump machine. Maybe he’s taking that risk now.”
