Pope Leo XIV Questions America’s Morality: ‘Inhuman Treatment of Immigrants Isn’t Pro-Life

Vatican City — 1 October 2025 - In a pointed critique of U.S. immigration policies, Pope Leo XIV, the American-born pontiff elected just months ago, declared on Tuesday that the "inhuman treatment of immigrants" in detention centers and during deportations cannot coexist with a genuine commitment to the pro-life ethic. Speaking during an audience with U.S. Catholic bishops visiting Rome, the pope linked the issue directly to the broader Catholic defense of human dignity, drawing parallels to opposition against abortion and the death penalty.“

Someone who says that, 'I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants who are in the United States,' I don't know what they are calling pro-life,” Leo XIV said, his voice steady but laced with urgency. The remark, delivered in English with a faint Midwestern accent, elicited murmurs among the clergy and quickly rippled across global headlines, amplifying ongoing debates over President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation agenda.

The pope's intervention comes amid a surge in enforcement actions under the second Trump administration. Since January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded its detention network, with migrant detainee entries reaching 277,913 in 2024 alone—a figure that has continued to climb into the new year. Critics, including human rights groups, have documented widespread reports of overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and prolonged solitary confinement in facilities, conditions that violate international standards on humane treatment.

Leo XIV's comments mark a rare direct engagement with U.S. domestic policy from the Holy See, echoing but escalating earlier statements from his predecessor, Pope Francis. In February 2025, Francis penned a letter to American bishops decrying migration policies "built on force, not truth," warning they "will end badly" without compassion and solidarity. Leo XIV, who succeeded Francis in a swift conclave last summer, has leaned into his U.S. roots—born in Chicago to Italian-American parents—to address transatlantic tensions head-on.

The pope framed his remarks within the Catholic social teaching on life's sanctity, arguing that selective morality undermines the faith's core. “You can't defend life in one breath and deny the dignity of immigrants in the next,” he added, referencing the church's opposition to capital punishment: “Someone who says I'm against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life.” He called on policymakers to prioritize "the privilege of some" over "the sacrifice of others," urging reforms that treat migrants as brothers and sisters rather than threats.

The address was part of a broader discussion on the U.S. Catholic Church's role in a polarized nation, touching on abortion debates and military spending. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, a close ally of the new pope, praised the words as "a clarion call for integral ecology—caring for the least among us."

The White House responded swiftly, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushing back in a briefing: "The pope's comments are deeply misguided and do not reflect the reality of securing our borders against invasion."

 President Trump, posting on Truth Social, called the critique "a disgrace from a globalist cleric who doesn't understand American sovereignty," while defending his administration's measures as essential for public safety.

Trump's immigration blueprint, outlined in Project 2025 and enacted via executive orders, includes declaring a national "invasion" at the border, mandating detention for certain criminal suspects under the Laken Riley Act signed in January, and expanding biometric surveillance like DNA collection—even from U.S. citizens in some cases.The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" passed in August further slashed access to health care and nutrition programs for immigrants, while boosting enforcement funding to over $3 billion annually for the world's largest detention system.

Human Rights Watch has highlighted ten key harmful policies, from barring asylum claims on U.S. soil to indefinite detention without legal representation, affecting families and long-term residents alike.Under these rules, legal noncitizens often face the longest detentions, with ICE data showing persistent growth in custody numbers despite bipartisan calls for reform.

The pope's words have galvanized immigrant advocacy groups and progressive Catholics, with #ProLifeForAll trending on social media. Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of the Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center in Texas, told reporters: "This is the moral clarity we've needed—immigration is a pro-life issue." Conversely, conservative outlets like Catholic Culture labeled it a "disastrous" politicization of the papacy, predicting backlash among Trump's evangelical base.

As the U.S. grapples with its ongoing government shutdown—now in its first day—Leo XIV's message underscores a deepening rift over human rights. With over 200 detention facilities mapped nationwide, the human cost is stark: families separated, children in limbo, and a system strained by $3 billion in annual spending that advocates say prioritizes punishment over protection.

In closing, the pope invoked St. Oscar Romero: "Let us not forget that the poor are the ones who pay the price of economic and political imbalances." For American Catholics—and the nation at large—his challenge is clear: True pro-life fidelity demands action beyond rhetoric, starting at the border.