For years, many U.S. Catholic bishops centered their public engagement on the battle against abortion. They supported Donald Trump for his opposition to Roe v. Wade and openly criticized Catholic politicians who defended abortion rights. But today, a shift is clearly underway within the Church.
Increasingly, bishops are invoking the legacy of Pope Francis — and now that of Pope Leo XIV — to denounce mass deportations and the tightening of immigration policies. This is no marginal shift: it represents one of the most visible ruptures between the Church hierarchy and the political wing that has long courted the Catholic vote under the banner of “non-negotiable values.” “Reality is becoming increasingly disturbing,” said Cardinal Robert W. McElroy from Rome. “It is no longer possible to pretend these deportations are targeted. What we are seeing is a sweeping hunt for the undocumented.”
McElroy, appointed Archbishop of Washington by Pope Francis, has become one of the most prominent voices of this emerging stance. He is joined by Cardinal Tobin of Newark, Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles, and many other prelates.
At the heart of their criticism is a piece of legislation directly associated with Trump. The bill, currently under debate in Congress and backed by the former president and his allies, includes a sweeping set of domestic measures: a significant boost in funding for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), new asylum restrictions, expanded construction of the southern border wall, and the removal of various legal protections for migrants — including unaccompanied minors.
Though the bill includes anti-abortion provisions — which would, in theory, align with Catholic doctrine — many bishops find it unacceptable due to its dehumanizing approach to immigration. “This is not a plan for governance,” wrote Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles. “It is punishment. And as such, it produces only suffering and inhumanity.”
McElroy, Gomez, Tobin, and other leading prelates have signed an interfaith letter to the Senate, urging lawmakers to reject the bill. According to the letter, passing the legislation would constitute “a moral failure for American society.”
In the United States, the relationship between church and state has always been ambivalent. The Constitution declares that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” yet religious institutions benefit from tax exemptions, faith-based schools can receive public funding, and presidents still swear their oaths on the Bible.
In recent years, the Supreme Court — shaped by Trump’s judicial appointments — has interpreted the First Amendment more aggressively in favor of “religious liberty,” particularly when invoked by conservative Christian groups. This has resulted in rulings expanding access to public funds for religious schools and limiting restrictions on worship, even during emergencies like the pandemic.
Against this backdrop, the distancing of American bishops marks a potential reckoning. The break will not be without consequences. Many Catholics continue to support Trump: in 2024, he won the majority of the Catholic vote, including 41% of Hispanic Catholics. But the voices of the bishops, reinforced by the example of Pope Leo XIV, may begin to shift the narrative.
