By: Isuru Parakrama
February 12, World (LNW): Pope Francis has issued a sharp critique of the United States’ current approach to immigration, directly condemning the mass deportation programmes that have characterised the first weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term.
The letter, addressed to the bishops of the United States on February 10, 2025, condemns the dehumanising treatment of migrants and refugees, drawing a stark contrast to the Christian values of compassion, solidarity, and human dignity.
In his letter, Pope Francis reflects on the biblical narrative of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt, asserting that the experience of migration is a deeply sacred one, shared even by Jesus Christ.
“The family of Nazareth in exile, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, emigrants in Egypt and refugees there to escape the wrath of an ungodly king,” he writes, framing the Church’s view on migration as one of profound empathy.
This message sharply counters the anti-immigrant rhetoric that has been a hallmark of Trump’s administration, which has actively pursued policies that characterise migrants as criminals rather than victims of hardship and persecution.
The Pope’s words challenge the very core of Trump’s aggressive stance on immigration. Pope Francis asserts that the notion of associating migrants’ “illegal status” with criminality is not only morally wrong but a violation of basic human rights.
“The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality,” he states. In doing so, the Pope critiques the recent actions of President Trump, who has ramped up deportations and maintained harsh policies against migrants during the early days of his second term.
Further condemning the punitive measures being enacted, Francis highlights the deep harm caused by deporting vulnerable individuals—many of whom have fled extreme poverty, violence, and environmental degradation.
The Pope insists that a nation’s true moral standing is reflected in how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, especially those who have no choice but to flee their homelands. “An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalised,” he writes.
Whilst acknowledging that nations have a right to defend their borders, the Pope stresses that immigration policies must be guided by a sense of dignity and human rights. He argues that Trump’s approach, which has sought to prioritise security and exclusion over compassion, ultimately undermines the foundations of justice and equality.
“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 warns.
The Pope’s letter does not shy away from the deep ideological divide that exists in the United States, particularly under President Trump’s leadership. Francis cautions against the use of national identity as an ideological weapon, warning that focusing on the self-interest of the privileged few over the welfare of the many distorts the very notion of social life.
“Worrying about personal, community or national identity, apart from these considerations, easily introduces an ideological criterion that distorts social life and imposes the will of the strongest as the criterion of truth,” he asserts, implicitly taking aim at the nationalist rhetoric that Trump has championed.
In closing, Pope Francis calls on all Christians and people of good will to reject the narrative of division and exclusion, urging them to adopt an approach based on fraternity and solidarity.
He also invokes the figure of Our Lady of Guadalupe, seeking her protection for those suffering due to the harsh realities of migration and deportation.
In his timely and moral intervention, Pope Francis has not only raised his voice against the continuation of Trump’s controversial immigration policies but has also provided a powerful moral framework for a more humane approach to migration, one that centres the dignity of every human being, regardless of their legal status.
The Pope’s letter serves as a reminder of the enduring need for compassion, solidarity, and the protection of human rights.
Full Letter:
