Border Czar Tom Homan has lashed out at the leaders of his own religion, claiming it is the Catholic Church—and not the Trump administration—who are wrong on immigration.
Homan slammed the historic institution for their recent condemnation of U.S. policy, arguing that the church’s interpretation of Christian doctrine fails to comprehend the benevolence of President Donald Trump’s tactics.
“The Catholic Church is wrong,” Homan said. “I’m sorry, I’m a lifelong Catholic, I’m saying it as, not only a Border Czar, I’ll say it as a Catholic.”
“We’re going to enforce the law and by doing that we’re saving a lot of lives,” the 63-year-old added. “Secure borders save lives.”
Homan was responding to a “special message” on immigration from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people,” the bishops said in a message approved by more than 95 percent of American bishops during their 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland, on Nov. 12.
“We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement,” their statement continues.
The rare political comment follows a separate appeal made last month by Pope Leo XIV that religious leaders should “speak strongly” in defense of those affected by American immigration policies.
Homan, who was born into a Roman Catholic family of seven children, is considered the “intellectual father” of Trump’s immigration deterrence policy of separating children from their parents at the border.
“So, according to them, the message we should send to the whole world is that, if you cross the border illegally, which is a crime, don’t worry about it?” Homan asked.
“If you get ordered to be removed by a federal judge after due process, don’t worry about it, because there shouldn’t be mass deportations? Is that the message we send to the whole world?”
Citing human smuggling deaths and fentanyl overdoses of American citizens, Homan argued that Trump’s immigration policies were ultimately in place to “save lives.”
“I wish the Catholic Church would understand that,” he said.
It’s not the first time that Homan, whose current position was announced by Trump in November last year, has found himself at odds with his church on the topic of immigration.
In February, he snapped at 88-year-old Pope Francis, who implored the faithful to protect migrants and refugees in response to the controversial U.S. crackdown on immigration.
“I wish he’d stick to the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border enforcement to us,” Homan said. “He wants to attack us for securing our border? He’s got a wall around the Vatican, does he not?”
Homan also served as Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first term. In 2024, he was caught in an FBI sting operation accepting $50,000 in cash in exchange for securing government contracts during Trump’s second term.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed in September that Homan never accepted a bag of cash as alleged, although the Department of Justice investigation into the matter was quietly shut down before a decision could be made.
The bishops’ statement recognizes the need for countries to regulate their borders but cites scripture to argue that “human dignity and national security are not in conflict.”
“We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials,” they said. “In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.”
The Trump administration has vastly ramped up detainments by ICE agents and the use of deportations without due process.
“We have the right to secure our borders like they have the right to secure their facility,” Homan continued, before taking one last dig: “I think they need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my opinion.”
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