The Pope strongly criticized the Trump administration’s mass deportation of illegal aliens in a letter to U.S. Bishops dated February 10, reiterating his longstanding support for a permissive approach to immigration grounded in Catholic doctrine.
Pope Francis’s ten-point letter likens the plight of migrants to the Holy Family’s escape to Egypt and calls for an immigration policy based on upholding the fundamental dignity of every human being.
“That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” the Holy Father wrote.
The Pope argues that the rule of law is upheld when all people are treated in accordance with their inherent dignity, especially those living on the margins of society.
“This does not impede the development of a policy that regulates orderly and legal migration. However, this development cannot come about through the privilege of some and the sacrifice of others. What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” he added.
Pope Francis appears to address devout Catholic Vice President JD Vance’s invocation of the hierarchy of love, known as ordo amoris, to defend the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Vance briefly described it during a Fox News interview that sparked intense dialogue about the theological understanding of ordo amoris and universal Christian love.
“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. In other words: the human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings!” the Pope said.
“The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in his identity and vocation. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ (cf. Lk 10:25-37), that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
The Pope went on to praise the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for its work with illegal immigrants and refugees to uphold their rights and proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ. The U.S. Bishops have already criticized the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, drawing condemnation from Vance and other defenders of the president.
Vance suggested on CBS News that the Bishops were opposed to Trump’s immigration agenda because of the grants they receive from the federal government to assist illegal aliens. The Bishops replied to Vance and said they work to resettle thoroughly vetted refugees and that the taxpayer funds are not sufficient for covering the costs of the program.
A breakdown of the Bishops’s publicly available finances appears to show the Conference typically spends more on its migration programs than it receives in grants, with 83 percent of its disbursements going directly to programs rather than administrative costs, according to The Pillar, a Catholic news website. The U.S. Bishops laid off 50 staffers last week due to the Trump administration’s pause on reimbursements for refugee and migrant resettlement efforts.
“I recognize your valuable efforts, dear brother bishops of the United States, as you work closely with migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ and promoting fundamental human rights. God will richly reward all that you do for the protection and defense of those who are considered less valuable, less important or less human!” the Pope exclaimed.
President Trump initiated mass deportations immediately upon taking power and took measures to fortify the southern border after his predecessor, former president Joe Biden, oversaw record levels of illegal immigration. The Trump administration has deported hundreds of illegal immigrants on a daily basis with an emphasis on violent criminals.