Pope Francis on Sunday criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s reported plan to sharply increase immigration enforcement across the United States within days of taking office.
In an interview on Italian television, the pope said in unusually strong language for a leader of the world’s Catholic church that it would be a “shame” if President Trump went ahead with his plan.
“It will force migrants who have nothing to pay unpaid bills,” Pope said. “That won’t work. This method won’t solve the problem.”
The Pope’s remarks were made during a video link from the Vatican residence to Italy’s Channel 9 program Che Tempo Che Fa.
Francis, the leader of a church with 1.4 billion members, is typically cautious about considering political issues.
The Pope has made welcoming immigrants a central theme of his nearly 12-year pontificate, and has previously criticized President Trump’s anti-immigrant comments. During the 2016 campaign, Trump said he was “not a Christian.”
Trump administration officials said Saturday they were reconsidering the president-elect’s plans for an immigration raid in Chicago next week after reports of the plan.
Earlier on Sunday, Catholic Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blas Cupich also criticized the planned attack. “This is an affront to the dignity of all people and communities,” the cardinal said in a statement.
