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Pritzker Meets Chicago‑Born Pope at the Vatican to Criticize ICE 'Operation Midway Blitz'

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker met privately with Chicago‑born Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to discuss concerns about ICE’s "Operation Midway Blitz." Arranged with Cardinal Blase Cupich’s help, the meeting included an exchange of gifts and a shared emphasis on treating immigrants with dignity. A recent U.S. bishops’ statement — endorsed 216‑5 with three abstentions and supported by the pope — criticized some ICE tactics and warned of fear among immigrant communities. Pritzker described the encounter as a deeply humane moment and invited the pope to visit Chicago.

11:36 PM, 11/21/2025Politics
Pritzker Meets Chicago‑Born Pope at the Vatican to Criticize ICE 'Operation Midway Blitz'

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker met privately with Chicago‑born Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in a meeting arranged with the assistance of Cardinal Blase Cupich. The two exchanged gifts and discussed concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign known as "Operation Midway Blitz."

After the audience, Pritzker said the pope’s "message of hope, compassion, unity and peace resonates with Illinoisans of all faiths and traditions." In an interview with a Chicago television affiliate, Pritzker said the pontiff was eager to hear his perspective on federal immigration activity in Illinois and in Chicago specifically.

According to Pritzker, they shared reservations about some recent ICE operations. He said the pope expressed appreciation that "the people of Chicago stood up against the oppression that’s been brought on immigrants," and was encouraged to hear reports that enforcement activity in the city appeared to be winding down.

Bishops' Statement and the Pope's Remarks

Earlier this month, a group of U.S. bishops issued a statement — endorsed in a vote of 216 in favor, 5 opposed and 3 abstentions — that criticized some ICE tactics, including large‑scale deportations, and warned of a climate of fear in immigrant communities. The bishops said they were "bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion" and expressed concern about profiling and enforcement measures that foment anxiety.

"If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts; there’s a system of justice," Pope Leo XIV told the Italian press, adding that leaders should look for ways to treat people with dignity while enforcing the law. He also noted that every nation has the right to determine its immigration procedures and that no one was calling for open borders.

Pritzker described the encounter as deeply human: "You could feel [the pope’s] humanity. It was a special moment, even for this Jewish boy," he said. The governor invited the pope to visit Chicago and presented him with a case of "Da Pope" beer from Illinois brewery Burning Bush; the pope smiled and quipped, "We’ll put that in the fridge."

The meeting recalled Chicago’s last papal visit in 1979, when Pope John Paul II spoke at Grant Park. The private audience underscores how immigration enforcement has become a national moral and political issue that draws responses from religious leaders and elected officials alike.

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