Homan suggests Pope Leo should join ICE for ride-along

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar and a lifelong Catholic, said that he would be willing to invite Pope Leo XIV to accompany U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on a ride-along. 

Speaking at an April 22 Turning Point USA event at Baylor University, Homan said he would welcome the Pope to join ICE officers so the Holy Father could come to better understand U.S. immigration operations.

“Yes,” Homan said when asked if he would extend such an invitation. “I will sit down and talk to him, because they’re talking about something that they don’t understand.”

While Pope Leo has repeatedly said that nations have the right to regulate entry, he has also criticized some U.S. immigration enforcement tactics as “extremely disrespectful, to say the least.” 

Homan argued that open borders are "the most inhumane thing you can do,” since it leads to migrant deaths along the journey. 

“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,” he said. 

He also sharply criticized policies under former President Joe Biden and former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, saying they used taxpayer funds to provide transportation, lodging, and work authorization to migrants without legal status.

“The most humane thing you can do is secure the border,” Homan said, arguing that a drop in illegal crossings under the current administration has prevented violence, exploitation, and drug trafficking.

Pope Leo’s position

Speaking to reporters April 23 while returning to Rome from a trip to Africa, Pope Leo reiterated that “a state has the right to regulate its borders,” while emphasizing the need for enforcement through legal systems and protections for vulnerable people.

Pope Leo has repeatedly rejected the idea of “open borders,” saying countries have the right to regulate immigration, but has also called for enforcement to be conducted humanely.

>> Pope Leo: Supporting human dignity does not mean ‘open borders’ << 

“No one has said that the United States should have open borders,” Pope Leo told journalists in November. “I think every country has the right to determine who enters, how, and when.”

At the same time, the Holy Father has called for immigration policies that uphold human dignity and due process, aligning with positions outlined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

>> US bishops issue message urging immigration reform, lamenting ‘vilification of immigrants’ <<