Border Czar Tom Homan To Pope Leo XIV: 'Stay Out Of Immigration'

In a fiery defense of American sovereignty and the rule of law, White House Border Czar Tom Homan issued a blistering response to Pope Leo XIV this week, following the pontiff’s recent criticisms of the administration’s efforts to end the crisis of mass illegal immigration. Homan, a career law enforcement officer known for his unwavering commitment to border security, did not mince words, suggesting the Vatican leadership lacks a fundamental understanding of the brutal realities on the ground.

“I’m not going to speak for the president; I’m speaking for myself,” Homan told reporters Tuesday. “I’m a lifelong Catholic. I wish they’d stay out of immigration. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

The tension follows comments made in October 2025, when Pope Leo slammed what he considered the Trump administration’s “inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States.” Critics have noted that the Pope’s rhetoric frequently fails to distinguish between those who respect our laws through legal channels and the foreign invaders who bypass our ports of entry.

The Human Cost of Open Borders

Homan argued that the Pope’s "cavalier" perspective ignores the horrific collateral damage caused by unfettered illegal crossings—tragedies Homan has witnessed firsthand over four decades of service.

“If they wore my shoes for 40 years — and talked to a 9-year-old girl that got raped multiple times, or stood in the back of a tractor trailer with 19 dead aliens at my feet, including a 5-year-old boy that baked to death — if they understood the atrocities that happen on the open border, I think their opinion would change,” the border czar said.

Homan emphasized that the administration's policies are, in fact, the most compassionate option because they dismantle the criminal enterprises profiting from human misery.

“And I welcome discussion with any of them [Catholic Church clergy], because they don’t understand illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.”

Restoring the Rule of Law

Since President Trump returned to the White House for his second term, the administration has moved aggressively to restore the integrity of the U.S. border—a sharp contrast to the chaos of previous years. According to Homan, the results of the President's policies speak for themselves in terms of lives saved and cartels defeated.

“Where President Trump had the most secure border in the lifetime of this nation, right now, lives are being saved. He’s saving thousands of lives a year because he has a secure border,” Homan added. “Human traffickers are out of business, right? The cartels are going bankrupt because of that secure border. I wish they’d understand that. Because if they did, I think they’d have a different opinion.”

Walls for Thee, But Not for Me

The Vatican’s criticism of American border infrastructure is nothing new. In 2019, the late Pope Francis famously targeted the President’s efforts to secure the nation.

“Builders of walls — be they made of razor wire or bricks — will end up becoming prisoners of the walls they build,” Pope Francis said in March 2019, per Reuters. “I realize that with this problem, a government has a hot potato in its hands, but it must be resolved differently, humanely, not with razor wire,” he said.

For many Americans, the irony is thick. The Pope remains safely ensconced behind the massive stone walls of Vatican City, protected by a private army. While the Church hierarchy lectures the United States on "humanity," they have yet to offer the Apostolic Palace as a housing solution for the millions who have breached our borders.

As President Trump continues to prioritize the safety of American citizens and the sanctity of our borders, the message from the administration is clear: Policy will be dictated by the Constitution and the needs of the American people, not by sanctimonious pressure from foreign religious leaders.