Tom Homan Fires Back at the Vatican: Stay Out of Immigration

Tom Homan Tells the Vatican to Back Off on Immigration: "They Don't Know What They're Talking About"

White House border czar Tom Homan delivered a fiery rebuke to the Vatican on Tuesday, urging Catholic leaders to "stay out of immigration" and insisting they lack the firsthand knowledge to weigh in credibly on border enforcement.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Homan responded to growing tensions between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV over immigration policy. The pope has publicly criticized the administration's enforcement actions, declaring there is "inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States."

"I wish they'd stay out of immigration because they don't know what they're talking about. Because if they wore my shoes for forty years and talked to a nine year old girl that got raped multiple times, or stood in the back of a tractor trailer, with nineteen dead aliens at my feet, including a five year old boy that baked to death. If they understood the atrocities that happen on an open border, I think their opinion would change." Tom Homan

Homan, who identified himself as a "lifelong Catholic," emphasized that illegal immigration is "not a victimless crime." He cited a 97 percent reduction in illegal border crossings under the current administration, arguing the crackdown has resulted in fewer women assaulted during the journey, fewer migrants dying in transit, and human traffickers being put "out of business."

The confrontation came in the wake of a controversial AI generated image President Trump shared on social media over the weekend, which depicted him in a Christ like pose. Trump later deleted the post after widespread backlash.

Vice President JD Vance echoed Homan's sentiments, urging the Vatican to "stick to matters of morality" and let the president of the United States handle American public policy. Trump himself called Pope Leo XIV "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy," pointing to the pontiff's opposition to the Iran conflict and U.S. military action in Venezuela.

Border Czar Challenges Pope Leo XIV on Immigration Policy as White House Vatican Feud Escalates

The clash marks the latest escalation in an unprecedented confrontation between the first American born pope and a White House that views immigration enforcement as a core mandate from voters. Homan's challenge to Vatican authority on this issue underscores the deepening rift between the Catholic Church's institutional stance on migration and the political realities of securing the southern border.

The Crusader's Opinion

Tom Homan is right. The Vatican has no business lecturing America on immigration when the walls around Vatican City are 40 feet tall. You cannot preach open borders from behind a fortress and expect to be taken seriously. Homan has seen the dead children, the rape victims, the bodies in tractor trailers. He has lived the consequences of a broken border for four decades. Pope Leo XIV has read about them from a palace. When the Church starts housing illegal immigrants in St. Peter's Basilica, then they can talk. Until then, let the men who have actually buried the victims make the policy.

Take Action

• Contact your Congressional representatives and urge them to support strong border security legislation. Find your representatives at congress.gov.
• Support organizations that help victims of human trafficking, such as Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.).
• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians worldwide.
• Pray for wisdom and discernment for leaders on all sides of this debate, that they may prioritize the safety and dignity of all people.
• Share this story with your church community and discuss what Scripture teaches about borders, nations, and the responsibility of governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7).