Mass Deportations Can Be Consistent With Catholic Teaching: Context Matters

The incoming Special Assistant to President Trump for Border Security, Tom Homan, is already drawing fire from left-wing groups, including certain lawyers and NGOs that have built entire industries around human trafficking and immigration advocacy. They are sounding alarms about the prospect of “mass deportations” next year. Now, some Catholics are echoing these protests, claiming that mass deportations are inherently “not Catholic.”

Nothing could be further from the truth if we consider the full context of Catholic teaching. The Catholic Church does not deny the state the right and responsibility to regulate its borders and protect its citizens. In certain circumstances, this can include large-scale deportations. The key lies not in the scale of the action but in how it is carried out.

Pope Francis and the broader Catholic tradition have always stressed that immigration laws must be humanely enforced. This means respecting human dignity, adhering to due process, and upholding the rule of law. Far from contradicting centuries of Catholic moral thought, the Church has long affirmed the proper exercise of a sovereign’s duty to safeguard the common good—provided it is done justly and without cruelty.