Pope calls Trump’s mass deportation plan ‘disgrace’ as move for ‘major enforcement operation' in Chicago gets leaked
Pope Francis broke his silence as Donald Trump has decided to go ahead with his bold yet controversial decision of mass deportations in the United States.
Pope Francis broke his silence as US President-elect Donald Trump has decided to go ahead with his bold yet controversial decision of mass deportations in the United States.
Appearing for an interview with the Italian chat show Che Tempo Che Fa Sunday, Pope referred to Trump's proposals as a “disgrace.”
“If it is true, it will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the unpaid bill,” he said. “It won’t do. This is not the way to solve things,” stated the leader of the Catholic Church.
The statement from Francis came after he appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy as the future Archbishop of Washington, D.C. McElroy, who is an outspoken critic of mass deportations, reported CNN.
Francis' remarks coincide with Trump's anticipated actions during his first day in office, which include eliminating legitimate immigration routes and executing mass deportations.
Meanwhile, several key media organizations like Fox News and ABC News have reported that Trump is set to sign over 200 executive orders on the first day in office following his inauguration ceremony.
Also Read: Trump immigration forces to target multiple cities, border czar says
Tom Homan speaks out over leaked plan to flood Chicago with immigration officers
In an interview with the Washington Post on Saturday, Tom Homan, the “border czar” for Trump, stated that he is hesitant to implement a leaked plan to deploy a large number of immigration officers to Chicago within the first week of the president-elect's administration.
Homan further clarified the WaPO that he hasn't “hasn't made a decision yet” on a strategy to deploy 150–200 ICE officers to the city as early as Tuesday.
“We’re looking at this leak and will make a decision based on this leak,” Homan said. Calling it “unfortunate”, Trump border czar stressed that anyone leaking information about law enforcement operations "puts officers at greater risk.”
He went on to say that he was uncertain about “why Chicago was mentioned specifically” and clarified that the new administration's goals were far more expansive than Chicago.
Know about Trump's Operation Safeguard
Speaking to NY Times, two unidentified federal agents and a former official informed that the “Operation Safeguard” plan was scheduled to begin the day after Trump’s inauguration and continue until Monday of the following week.
Homan declared that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin apprehending national security and public safety threats on day one. “We’ll be arresting people across the country, uninhibited by prior administration’s guidelines. … We’re not sweeping neighborhoods. We have a targeted enforcement plan.”
The incoming Trump administration is getting ready for what it claims would be the biggest mass deportation operation in American history. Politico predicts that Trump on his first day in office will sign an executive order establishing a state of emergency along the southern border on Monday.
ABOUT THE AUTHORShweta KukretiShweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

E-Paper


