WASHINGTON — Border czar Tom Homan publicly invited Pope Leo XIV to go on a ride-along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to get the Trump administration’s perspective on border security.
Homan, 64, argued that there are very valid humanitarian reasons for securing the border and enforcing immigration law. The Bishop of Rome has admonished the Trump administration’s immigration policies as “inhumane” and “morally indefensible.”
“I’ll sit down and talk to him, because they’re talking about something they don’t understand,” Homan said at a TurningPoint USA event on Wednesday, confirming he’d invite the pontiff on a ride-along.
“An open border is the most inhumane thing you can do,” the border honcho stressed. “When you make that promise to the whole world, the most vulnerable people will give their life’s savings to the cartels to make that dangerous journey.”
Despite Pope Leo XIV being the first American pope in the Catholic Church’s history, he has repeatedly clashed with President Trump over the war in Iran and foreign policy.
Trump, in turn, has torn into the pope as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” while commending his brother, Louis “Lou” Prevost, who has made conservative social media posts in the past.
The Chicago-born Holy Father recently sought to dial down tensions with Trump after making several sermons that seemed critical of him, including one where he decried the “handful of tyrants” ravaging the world, which he later denied was aimed at Trump.
“As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all,” the pope told reporters.
Vice President JD Vance, the nation’s highest-ranking Catholic, who has stood by Trump during the feud, praised the pontiff for de-escalating with those remarks about how he doesn’t want to debate the president.
“I am grateful to Pope Leo for saying this. While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict–and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen – the reality is often much more complicated,” the veep posted last X Saturday.
Trump had also repeatedly clashed with the Holy Father’s predecessor, Pope Francis, who was even sharper, at times, with his criticisms of the American president.
Homan, who has called himself a lifelong Catholic, has defended the Trump administration’s border policies from the pope’s critiques.
“President Trump has illegal immigration down 96.7% — about 97%. When 97% less people are coming, how many women aren’t being raped? How many children aren’t dying? How many pounds of fentanyl is not getting into kill Americans?” Homan said, rattling through the benefits.
“President Trump is a remarkable leader for this nation.”
The Vatican previously said that the pope had no plans to visit the US this year.
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