Trump Administration’s Anti-Immigration Czar, a Catholic, Speaks Out Against US Church’s Message

(ZENIT News / Washington, D.C., 12.15.2025).- Tom Homan, appointed by Trump as Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in November 2024, rejected a special message on immigration from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, arguing that the Bishops’ statement would encourage more people to make the dangerous journey to the United States.

On November 12, in Baltimore, the Bishops approved a declaration citing passages from Scripture such as Luke 10:30-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan, and Matthew 25, where they read that «we see Him who is found in the least of these» and interpret Him as the face of Jesus Christ reflected in the migrant. They emphasize that «the Church’s concern for our neighbour and our concern here for immigrants are a response to the Lord’s commandment to love as He has loved us (John 13:34).»

The motion was approved by 95% of the voting Bishops with 216 votes in favour, five against, and three abstentions. It emphasizes: «We oppose the mass and indiscriminate deportation of people.» Furthermore, the Bishops stress: «We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether against immigrants or against law enforcement. We pray that the Lord will guide the leaders of our nation and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to engage in dialogue with public and elected officials.»

Homan’s reaction to the Bishops’ message, in an interview with EWTN News on November 14 on the program «The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,» was: «So, according to [the Bishops], the message we should be sending to the whole world is: ‘If you cross the border illegally, which is a crime, don’t worry about it. If you are deported by a federal judge in due process, don’t worry, because there shouldn’t be mass deportations.’ If that’s the message we’re sending to the whole world, people will continue to put themselves in danger to come to the greatest nation on earth.»

Homan asks the Catholic Church to understand the need for secure borders to save lives: «We saw during the Biden Administration, when there was no immigration control, that more than 4,000 foreigners died making that journey» and that «millions of Americans died from fentanyl.» And he countered: «We are going to enforce the law. And, in doing so, we are saving many lives. One of the reasons no one talks about why we have the most secure border in the history of this nation is precisely what ICE is doing.»

At no point did Homan take into account a passage from the Bishops’ message that balances the call to avoid mass expulsions and to guard the borders: «We recognize that nations have the responsibility to control their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the common good.»

While some in the Trump Administration see only criminals in immigrants, such as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, who told CNA on November 14 that «70% of the illegal aliens that ICE detained nationwide have criminal convictions or outstanding criminal charges in the United States alone,» the Bishops broaden the view: «We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.»

The Bishops also warned: «We regret that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are concerned about threats to the inviolability of places of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are saddened to see parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and to comfort families who have already been separated from their loved ones.»

Furthermore, the message acknowledges the contribution of immigrants and affirms that the Bishops feel compelled to «raise their voices in defense of the human dignity that God has given them.» They urge working with immigrants with the aim of taking into account more values, since «human dignity and national security are not mutually exclusive.»