On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Pope Leo XIV issued a resolute call to the Trump administration, advocating for a “deep reflection” on the handling of migrants in U.S. detention centers. He urged officials to honor the spiritual rights of the detained individuals.
From the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, the Pontiff, who hails from Chicago, Illinois, voiced growing concerns over the availability of religious services in immigration detention centers. He specifically mentioned the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois. Pope Leo underlined that the current enforcement policies have taken a toll on migrants living peacefully in the U.S. for several years.
“I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people,” Pope Leo said. “Many times they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time; no one knows what’s happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”
His comments were in response to a direct inquiry regarding the Broadview facility. Here, local clerics have been repeatedly refused permission by federal authorities to offer Holy Communion to detainees. In October and November, several Catholic priests sought to bring the sacrament to migrants at this facility but were turned away by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
On November 1—All Saints’ Day, a significant day in the Catholic calendar—another group, including Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado of the Chicago Archdiocese, made a similar attempt but was also denied access. A DHS spokeswoman cited ongoing threats to civilians, detainees, and officers as the reason for not allowing visitors. In a separate statement, DHS officials described the protests outside the facility as involving “rioters” and violent crowds.
However, a federal judge in Chicago, Illinois, has since labeled the Trump administration’s depiction of disorderly protests outside Broadview as “simply unreliable.”
Pope Leo highlighted that scripture poses a crucial question to be asked at the end of times: How were foreigners received, and were they welcomed or not? He suggested that a deep reflection on current immigration enforcement practices is necessary.
During the Q&A session with reporters, Pope Leo addressed broader geopolitical issues, including U.S. military actions against suspected drug traffickers near Venezuela and the delicate ceasefire in the Middle East.
Concerning the Middle East peace process, Leo acknowledged the fragility of the initial phase of the pact between Israel and Hamas. He emphasized the need to find solutions for future governance that ensure the rights of all people.
On Thursday, November 6, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. Later in November, the Pope visited Turkey and Lebanon, marking his first trip as pope to these conflict-affected regions with humanitarian concerns.
Through November and December, Pope Leo’s public criticisms of Trump increased, although they have not had a direct meeting. On December 9, Trump mentioned in a Politico interview that he was “open to meeting with Pope Leo” and responded to the pontiff’s criticism of his immigration policy, though no meeting has been planned.
After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Castel Gandolfo on December 9, Pope Leo warned that Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine and his harsh rhetoric towards Europe could fracture the long-standing U.S.-European alliance. He characterized Trump’s approach as a significant shift from the enduring alliance between Europe and the U.S.
In his inaugural Christmas address on December 25, Pope Leo issued what was perceived as a veiled criticism of Trump’s immigration crackdown. Speaking to an estimated 26,000 worshippers in St. Peter’s Square, Leo urged empathy for migrants “fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent.” While Trump was not named, the Pontiff, born in Chicago, Illinois, emphasized: “If he would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change.”
On December 20, in what was viewed as a significant move, Pope Leo appointed Rev. Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, a pro-immigration pastor known for his advocacy for migrant aid and opposition to deportations, as the new bishop of Palm Beach, Florida—home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Rodríguez, a native of the Dominican Republic vocal about immigrant rights, expressed surprise and a bit of fear at the unexpected appointment. The timing and location of the appointment were widely seen as a symbolic critique of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
