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Pope Francis calls Trump's deportation plan a 'disgrace'
By Agustin Hays
Published January 22, 2025
President Donald Trump has received criticism from Pope Francis as the 47th U.S. president is set to unleash his mass deportation plan.
The Holy Father weighed in on the anticipated operation, saying "if this is true, it is a disgrace." He added that it would impact the poor and the unfortunate, saying, "this won’t do. This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved."
Francis' critiques came during an interview one day before Trump's formal swearing in to office. Afterward, he sent President Trump "cordial greetings" for his inauguration.
The Pope's remarks on the president's immigration plan prompted a strong reaction from Fox News contributor and theologian Jonathan Morris on FOX Business' "Varney & Co.," Tuesday.
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"I think it's totally, totally out of line to be criticizing a policy from afar, unless you get into the weeds and the details," Morris said.
Pope Francis criticized President Trump's mass deportation plan on Sunday during an interview, calling it a "disgrace."
The former priest and resident theologian continued, explaining how politicians can address immigration according to the Christian and Catholic faith.
"According to Catholic and Christian ethics, politicians not only have a right, but a responsibility and obligation to control immigration levels at sustainable and safe levels."
Before taking office, the now-president campaigned on border security and said that he would set in motion large-scale operations. He declared a state of emergency at the border on his first day in office.
Trump's administration is said to already be eyeing immigration arrests of illegal migrants across the country, as top officials say they are ready to "take the handcuffs off" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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"Of course, anybody has a right to leave one's country," Morris told host Stuart Varney. "But you don't always have a right to enter into another country, and you certainly don't have a right to do it illegally."
The former priest remarked on what he thought the Holy Father's meaning was, but believed the criticism was a misstep.
"So I think the pope, what he means is, 'Hey, let's be respectful of immigrants,' but giving blanket statements like ‘disgraceful,’ without getting into why it's ‘disgraceful,’ I think that's a mistake."
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Fox News Digital's Haley Chi-Sing and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/pope-francis-calls-trumps-deportation-plan-disgrace