Pope Francis has slammed President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plans and described the policy as a "disgrace."
"If it is true, it will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing to pay the unpaid bill. It won't do. This is not the way to solve things," Francis said during an interview with the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa on Sunday.
Newsweek has contacted the incoming administration for comment via email outside of normal office hours.
Why It Matters
Francis' comments come as Trump prepares to take office and fulfill his campaign promises to strengthen border security. Following his inauguration, Trump is expected to swiftly implement his immigration agenda by signing a series of executive orders aimed at carrying out mass deportations. Reports indicate that immigration raids are planned in major cities, including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami.
What To Know
The remarks come after Francis appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy as the next Archbishop of Washington, D.C.
McElroy has described mass deportations of immigrants as "incompatible with Catholic doctrine."
Advocacy for migrants has been a cornerstone of Pope Francis' papacy, as he has consistently stressed the importance of welcoming and integrating them into societies.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump's plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border drew a notable response from the head of the Catholic Church. After celebrating Mass near the border, the Pope remarked that anyone building a wall to exclude migrants is "not Christian."
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration was set to launch a large-scale deportation operation in Chicago starting Tuesday, his first full day in office until plans were leaked to the media.
The operation reportedly would involve as many as 200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
However, incoming border czar Tom Homan has said plans to launch a major immigration raid in Chicago this week are under review after details of the operation leaked to the press.
The Trump administration plans to revoke a long-standing policy that bars ICE agents from making arrests at sensitive locations such as churches.
The ICE policy requiring agents to obtain prior approval before making arrests in sensitive locations was introduced in 2011 through a memo by then-director John Morton. The policy remained in effect during the first Trump administration and continued through the Biden administration.
What People Are Saying
Chicago Cardinal Blasé Cupich said reports of mass deportations targeting the Chicago area "are not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply."
Speaking from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on Sunday, Cupich said that governments are responsible for protecting their borders and communities.
"The Catholic community stands with the people of Chicago in speaking out in defense of the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers," he said. "Similarly, if the reports are true, it should be known that we would oppose any plan that includes a mass deportation of U.S. citizens born of undocumented parents."
"If the indiscriminate mass deportation being reported were to be carried out, this would be an affront to the dignity of all people and communities, and deny the legacy of what it means to be an American," he stated.
Tom Homan, incoming border czar, told ABC News on Saturday: "We're reviewing any plans in Chicago because of the leak. When the president gets sworn in, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are going to have a new priority of seeking out those who are considered a public safety threat and a national security threat."
The Reverend Randy J. Mayer, lead pastor at the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ in Sahuarita, Arizona, previously told Newsweek: "The incoming administration talks a lot about indiscriminate mass deportations and increased immigration enforcement, but it is the cruelty, vulgarity, and vengeance that seems to singe their words.
What Happens Next
Trump is set to be inaugurated at noon today and is expected to sign more than 200 executive orders on Monday just hours after taking office, per reports by Fox News and ABC News.
He will address illegal immigration and border security while laying the groundwork to conduct mass deportations.
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