Pope Francis has strongly criticized U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed plans for mass deportations, calling them a “disgrace” in an interview on the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa on Sunday. The pontiff expressed deep concern about the human toll such policies would take, particularly on vulnerable populations.
“If it is true, it will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the unpaid bill,” Pope Francis said, denouncing the approach as an ineffective and unjust solution to immigration challenges. “It won’t do. This is not the way to solve things,” he added.
The Pope’s remarks coincide with Trump’s reported preparations to issue a series of sweeping executive orders on immigration during his first days in office. According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, a major deportation operation is set to begin in Chicago as early as Tuesday, involving up to 200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Additionally, Trump is expected to roll out policies that would close the U.S. border to undocumented migrants, reintroduce the controversial “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers, and end the practice of “Catch and Release,” which allows migrants to live in their communities while awaiting court hearings.
These plans have sparked alarm among immigration experts and advocacy groups. Naureen Shah, deputy director for government affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), warned last week of an aggressive push to expand immigration enforcement. “We’re expecting executive orders, agency actions, and legislative funding requests that will intimidate elected officials across the country into going along with this mass deportation agenda,” Shah said.
Pope Francis’s condemnation aligns with the Catholic Church’s broader stance on immigration. Recently, Francis appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy, a vocal opponent of mass deportations, as the next Archbishop of Washington, D.C. McElroy has described such policies as “inconsistent with Catholic doctrine” and emphasized the Church’s commitment to protecting the dignity and rights of migrants.
Trump’s administration is also reportedly preparing to declare a national emergency at the southern border and classify drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, moves that are expected to further escalate the U.S. government’s immigration crackdown. Meanwhile, other executive orders reportedly planned for Trump’s first day in office include withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord, freezing federal hiring, and mandating federal employees return to in-person work.
