US Border Czar Tom Homan on Friday responded to Pope Francis‘ criticism of President Donald Trump’s deportation policies. Homan, speaking candidly during a televised interview, fired back at the Vatican’s leader, accusing him of hypocrisy.
Homan hits back at Pope Francis
Homan defended the administration’s immigration policies, which have sparked protests and fears across the United States. Responding to Pope Francis’ comments labelling Trump’s mass deportation plans a “disgrace,” Homan pointed to the Vatican’s own security measures.
“They have a wall around the Vatican,” Homan said. “If you illegally enter the Vatican, the crime is serious. You’ll be charged with a serious crime and jailed. So he can protect the Vatican where he lives. He can build a wall where he lives, but the American people are not allowed that.”
He went further, calling on the Pope to focus on addressing issues within the Catholic Church. “The Pope ought to stick to the Catholic Church and fix that. That’s a mess,” Homan said.
Pope Francis stands firm on immigration
Pope Francis has long been a vocal advocate for migrant rights, criticising restrictive immigration policies. Nearly a decade after calling Trump “not Christian” for his plans to build a US-Mexico border wall, the pontiff reiterated his stance during an appearance on the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa.
“If true, this will be a disgrace,” Francis said of Trump’s deportation pledges. “It makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill. This won’t do! This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved.”
The Pope followed up his comments with a message of hope in an official telegram to President Trump on Inauguration Day, urging the US to remain a “land of opportunity and welcome for all.”
Trump’s deportation crackdown
The exchange between Homan and Pope Francis comes amid a flurry of actions by the Trump administration to enforce stricter immigration rules. Deportation operations have intensified, with immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) arresting 538 people on Thursday and 593 on Friday, some of whom were flown out of the country on military planes.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt touted the efforts as part of the administration’s “largest deportation operation in history,” aligning with Trump’s campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration. New rules have also been introduced to ease restrictions on immigration enforcement near schools and churches.