Leo XIV, a pope to confront Trump’s campaign of mass deportations

The first clue is in the name. When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became the first American pontiff and chose Leo XIV as his papal name, the Chicago native made clear his commitment to social justice. With his choice, he invoked Pope Leo XIII, considered the architect of Catholic social teaching, which affirms the right of people to migrate in search of safety and a dignified life, among other principles. This signaled that, like his predecessor and close friend Francis, Leo XIV will be a pope for migrants, a move that will surely put him at odds with the government of his native country, where Donald Trump is attempting to carry out the largest deportation campaign in history.

Prevost himself confirmed this weekend that he chose to be called Leo XIV as a reference to his predecessor of the same name and his social legacy. “I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution,” he said in a speech before the College of Cardinals at the Vatican on Saturday.

Leo XIII, leader of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, became known as “the working-class pope” for his 1891 encyclical, which defended the right to decent work, including for migrants. “No one would exchange his country for a foreign land if his own provided the means for a decent and happy life,” he wrote at the time. The text became the basis of modern Catholic social teaching. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, it establishes that every person has the right to migrate in order to survive and provide for their families. While the doctrine recognizes that no country is obligated to accept all people who seek to resettle, it notes that governments must “regulate their borders with justice and mercy.”

These are principles that deeply guided Pope Francis and that, now, are expected to also shape the papacy of Leo XIV. In his first speech as pontiff last Thursday, Prevost spoke of “building bridges,” as his predecessor often did when speaking about migration, especially in response to policies he considered punishing to immigrants. “We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to receive like this square with its open arms, all, all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue and love,” he said from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Those close to the Pope have confirmed that he will continue Francis’ legacy on many issues, including migration. In an interview with The New York Times on the day of his appointment, his brother, John Prevost, asserted that Leo XIV is “not happy with what’s going on with immigration” in the United States. “I know that for a fact. How far he’ll go with it is only one’s guess, but he won’t just sit back,” he noted. He added that the pontiff “has a great desire to help the oppressed and the disenfranchised, the people who are ignored,” and that, therefore, he does not believe “he will remain silent for long if he has something to say.”

Trump deports while the Church demands immigration reform

Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich went a step further, stating in an interview with ABC News broadcast this weekend that the Pope will influence American politics. “I think he’s going to help complete and complement our political agenda. He’ll talk a lot about the immigrations, as well, because he knows about the sufferings of people and the real needs that they have for a better life,” he said. “He knows that those people need an option. And he’ll call for, I think, as the bishops have in the United States, fixing this broken immigration system.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Trump administration have differed on several occasions over how the government should enforce its immigration laws. Although the U.S. Catholic Church recognizes that borders must be defended, the bishops have advocated for years for comprehensive reform of the U.S. immigration system that would provide pathways to citizenship for thousands of migrants, protect asylum seekers, promote family unity, and respect due process for all people. Overall, this is the opposite of the current president’s policy.

Trump, for his part, has said it’s an “excitement” and an “honor” that the new pope is an American and that he looks forward to meeting him. However, some of his most loyal advisors have lashed out at Prevost. Laura Loomer, the far-right influencer and activist who whispers in the president’s ear, called Leo XIV “anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open borders, and a total Marxist.”

The Trumpist world has taken issue with the fact that an X profile under the name Robert Prevost criticizes the administration for many of its policies. The account, apparently managed by the now Pope — or someone on his team — and created in 2011, has shared posts against many of Trump’s immigration measures during his two presidencies: from the separation of migrant families to the Republican’s attempts to strip Dreamers of their protections. The last post on the account, from April 14, is a retweet of a column written by an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, in which he asked if Trump sees “the suffering” caused by his immigration agenda.

Steve Bannon, the president’s former strategist, has referred to those tweets to rebuke Leo XIV. “It is shocking to me that a guy could be selected to be the Pope that had had the Twitter feed and the statements he’s had against American senior politicians,” he told the BBC a few days ago. He added that there is “definitely going to be friction” between Prevost and Trump, as there already was between Francis and the Republican. But he issued a warning: “Remember, President Trump was not shy about taking a shot at Pope Francis.”

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