In First Major Document, Pope Leo Revives Francis’ Critique Of Trump’s Immigration Policies

Born in Chicago in 1955 as Robert Prevost, Pope Leo XIV holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru. (AP File)

Pope Leo has used his first major document to call for urgent global action to support migrants and the poor, while also reviving one of the late Pope Francis’s strongest criticisms of US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including his long-standing push to build a border wall.

Released on Thursday, the 104-page apostolic exhortation, titled Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), is focused on economic justice, moral dignity, and the protection of vulnerable communities. It began as a writing project by Pope Francis before his death in April and was completed by Leo, who was elected in May as the first American pope.

“I am happy to make this document my own – adding some reflections – and to issue it at the beginning of my own pontificate,” Leo wrote in the opening pages.

Though the roots of the text are Francis’s, the Vatican confirmed that the final message reflects Leo’s own priorities. “This is Pope Leo’s document,” said Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior adviser to both pontiffs.

In the document, Leo speaks strongly in defence of immigrants and takes aim at the political narratives that frame them as threats. “Where the world sees threats, (the Church) sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges,” he writes — a direct reference to Francis’s 2016 criticism of Trump, then a presidential candidate, for promoting border wall policies he called “not Christian.”

“The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking,” Leo adds. “She knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”

Though Leo had initially struck a more reserved tone than his predecessor, he has in recent weeks become more outspoken, especially on immigration — drawing backlash from some conservative Catholics.

Beyond immigration, Dilexi te also delivers a sharp critique of the global economic system, warning of deepening inequality and moral decay. It challenges the belief that market forces alone will lift people out of poverty.

“The poor are promised only a few ‘drops’ that trickle down, until the next global crisis brings things back to where they were,” the text reads.

“The illusion of happiness derived from a comfortable life pushes many people towards a vision of life centered on the accumulation of wealth and social success at all costs, even at the expense of others,” Leo writes. “Either we regain our moral and spiritual dignity or we fall into a cesspool.”

(With inputs from Reuters)