'I was struck': Pope Leo hits Trump admin with a 'very strong' and targeted criticism

Pope Leo XIV has issued one of his harshest and most direct criticisms of the Trump administration's immigration policy yet.

According to BBC News, the pope, speaking to reporters outside the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, "said there were people who have lived in the US 'for years and years never causing problems, who have been deeply affected' by Trump's hardline policy on migration. Speaking in English, and reaching a US audience directly, he reiterated the Catholic belief that every Christian will ultimately be judged on how they welcomed 'the foreigner'."

Pope Leo also condemned Trump's bombing strikes on ships they suspect of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean — which many experts fear are bordering on war crimes — saying that it is only fanning the flames of conflict.

The pope, who has long made his position in support of welcoming migrants clear and continues a long-standing position of the Church, hails from Chicago, which has become ground zero for Trump's effort to crack down on migrants and to silence protests over his agenda.

Catholic historian Austen Ivereigh told BBC, "I was struck by how direct his reference was because he's obviously talking about the ICE round-ups. It was very strong."

Trump long had a tense relationship with Pope Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, who set the Catholic Church on a more socially progressive path. Pope Leo has continued this trend, triggering anger from the MAGA fanbase.