Pope Francis has branded Donald Trump’s plans to impose mass deportation of immigrants as ‘a disgrace’ and urged the incoming president to lead a society with ‘no room for hatred’.
Francis, who nearly a decade ago called Trump ‘not Christian’ for wanting to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, was asked about Trump’s deportation pledges during a Sunday appearance on the popular Italian talk show, Che Tempo Che Fa.
‘If true, this will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill’ for the problem, the Pope said. ‘This won’t do! This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved.’
Francis on Monday, in a message marking Trump’s inauguration, doubled down on his remark, this time issuing a direct plea to America’s next Commander-in-Chief.
‘It is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion,’ he said. ‘At the same time, as our human family faces numerous challenges, not to mention the scourge of war, I also ask God to guide your efforts in promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples.’
The 88-year-old pontiff also offered the incoming president ‘cordial greetings and the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom, strength and protection’.
Trump, who is being sworn in as president today, made mass deportations a signature issue of his campaign and has promised a raft of first-day orders to remake immigration policy.
He used a raucous rally on the eve of his inauguration to promise swift Day 1 action remaking the federal government, shifting federal priorities at breakneck speed and ensuring that ‘the curtain closes on four long years of American decline’.
Trump has forecasted signing as many as 100 executive orders on his first day in office, possibly covering deportations, the southern border, domestic energy, Schedule F rules for federal workers, school gender policies and vaccine mandates, among other Day 1 promises made during his campaign. He’s also promised an executive order to give more time for the sale of TikTok.
Donald Trump, who is being sworn in today, made mass deportations a signature issue of his campaign and has promised a raft of first-day orders to remake immigration policy. He is pictured at his victory rally at the Capital One Arena on January 19, 2025
Migrants stand near a razor wire fence, set by U.S. authorities to inhibit the crossing, near the border of Mexico and Texas on December 18, 2024
Trump has vowed to carry out ‘the largest deportation operation in American history,’ but the move will face legal challenges and possible refusals by some nations to accept deportees.
Pope Francis, who grew up in Argentina in a family of Italian immigrants, has long prioritized the plight of migrants and called for governments to welcome, protect and integrate them, within their means.
He has said the dignity and rights of migrants trump any national security concerns.
During Trump’s first campaign for the presidency in 2016, Francis was asked about the Republican’s plans to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
Speaking after he celebrated Mass along the border, Francis famously said: ‘Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian’.
And last year Francis made a rare foray into the US election season to call harsh anti-migrant attitudes ‘madness’ and criticize right-wing US Catholic figures for overly conservative stances.
Many US bishops have firmly opposed Trump’s deportation plan, with the incoming archbishop of Washington DC, Cardinal Robert McElroy, saying such policies were ‘incompatible with Catholic doctrine.’ It was a reference to the Biblical call to ‘welcome the stranger.’
Another cardinal close to Francis, Chicago Cardinal Blasé Cupich, said the reports of mass deportations targeting the Chicago area ‘are not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply.’
In a statement delivered from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on Sunday, Cupich said governments have the responsibility to protect borders and communities.
‘But we also are committed to defending the rights of all people, and protecting their human dignity,’ according to the text of his statement.
It comes as supporters filled nearly all of the 20,000-plus-seat Capital One Arena in downtown Washington for a MAGA victory celebration on Sunday night, cheering as Trump said he’d take quick action on everything from cracking down on the southern border to promoting oil drilling, reining in the federal workforce and eradicating diversity programs.
‘We’re going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history,’ said Trump, who also promised to roll back executive actions by his predecessor, outgoing President Joe Biden, ‘within hours.’
Trump said he’d jump start his agenda with a series of unilateral actions from the White House, telling the crowd, ‘You’re going to see executive orders that are going to make you extremely happy. Lots of them.’
‘Tomorrow we will not waste a single moment,’ he vowed later to attendees at a dinner reception.
Sunday was Trump’s first full day back in Washington since his Election Day victory and gave him a chance to energize core supporters before the official pomp of Inauguration Day.
Trump has insisted that unity will be a theme of his inauguration speech Monday, along with strength and fairness – despite spending months as a candidate saying that if elected he would seek retribution against political enemies.
That was the theme of much of his rally speech Sunday, when he returned to the greatest hits of his campaign – as if the race against Vice President Kamala Harris weren’t already long decided.
Trump denounced ‘migrant crime’ by evoking one of his favorite fictional characters, Hannibal Lecter, and promised to stamp out ‘woke’ policies and oppose transgender rights.
‘Tomorrow, at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride,’ Trump said, adding, ‘Once and for all, we’re going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington.’
Also Sunday, Trump had breakfast privately with Republican senators at Blair House, the president’s official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and took to his social media site to comment on the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the US ban on TikTok.
‘Hostages starting to come out today!.’ Trump wrote.
Millions of US users of TikTok lost the ability to watch videos on the social media platform overnight on Sunday as a federal ban on the app took effect. Though the site later began working again for some users, the disruptions reflected a new law requiring its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest for national security reasons.
The company made a personal appeal to Trump to intervene, posting a message saying, ‘We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.’
Trump subsequently posted, ‘I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!’
He promised to issue an executive order Monday ‘to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.’
The president-elect also wrote that he was interested in the US owning 50 per cent of TikTok in a ‘joint venture’ model, though he did not offer much detail on what that would look like.
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