Pope Leo XIV Urges Humane Treatment of Migrants While Acknowledging Nations' Right to Control Borders

Pope Leo XIV told reporters outside his Castel Gandolfo villa that neither he nor the Catholic Church endorses "open borders," while urging attention to a recent pastoral message from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that addresses immigration policy and migrant dignity.

The bishops' statement stressed that immigrants are made in the image of God and therefore deserve human dignity. It also affirmed that "nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good." The bishops warned that without lawful channels, migrants are vulnerable to trafficking and other forms of exploitation, and said safe, legal pathways help reduce those risks.

"We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement," the bishops wrote.

Pope Leo echoed that balanced approach, calling for compassion toward migrants while recognizing the legitimacy of national laws. "I would invite, especially all Catholics, but people of good will, to listen carefully to what they said," he said. "We have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have."

He acknowledged existing legal procedures for people living in the United States without authorization: "If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts. There is a system of justice; I think there are a lot of problems in the system." He reiterated that no one is calling for open borders and said every country has the right to determine who may enter and under what conditions.

At the same time, the pope criticized harsh treatment of long-term residents, describing the removal of individuals who have lived productive lives for 10, 15 or 20 years as "extremely disrespectful." He expressed concern about incidents of violence and urged Americans to heed the bishops' guidance.

In response, CatholicVote praised the pope's remarks as a succinct restatement of Church teaching: immigrants' inherent dignity must be respected, while enforcement can be both firm and humane. The organization added that a faithful Catholic can support measures such as borders, detention, and deportation if they are administered justly and compassionately.

These reactions reflect an ongoing debate within U.S. Catholic circles over how to balance compassion with enforcement. The pope's comments reinforce a message of dignity for migrants alongside recognition of national sovereignty, a framing likely to shape further church and public discussions on immigration policy.