Border Czar Tom Homan publicly rebuked the Catholic Church on Friday, claiming its stance against mass deportations undermines U.S. law enforcement efforts and endangers lives.

“The Catholic Church is wrong,” Homan stated during a White House press briefing. “I’m sorry. I’m a lifelong Catholic. I’m saying it not only as a border czar — I’ll say it as a Catholic. They need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my opinion.”

Homan’s comments came in response to a question about the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which earlier this week issued a statement condemning the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. The bishops expressed concern about what they described as “a climate of fear and anxiety” surrounding immigration enforcement actions.

The confrontation highlights growing tensions between religious leaders and the administration over its aggressive deportation policies. Pope Leo recently called for “deep reflection” on the treatment of migrants under President Trump, whose administration has prioritized removing undocumented immigrants.

Homan suggested the Church should focus on internal matters before criticizing U.S. immigration policy. He pointed to what he views as hypocrisy, noting that Vatican City imposes strict penalties for trespassing on its grounds while advocating for more lenient border policies in the United States.

“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 said. “If you get ordered removed by a federal judge after due process, don’t worry about us, because there should not be mass deportations. Is that the message you send to the whole world?”

The border czar defended the Trump administration’s approach as more humane than the previous Biden administration’s policies, arguing that strict enforcement actually “saves lives” by deterring dangerous border crossings.

According to Homan, desperate migrants often rely on violent cartels to smuggle them across the border under hazardous conditions. He claimed that more than 4,000 migrants have died during these journeys, while thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl trafficked across the southern border.

“Secure border saves lives. I wish the Catholic Church would understand that,” Homan stated. “We have a right to secure our borders, just like they have a right to secure their facility. You can’t enter their facility without getting arrested. The penalties for entering their facility are much worse than ours.”

The dispute underscores the complex intersection of faith, politics, and immigration policy that has characterized the national debate. The Catholic Church, with its long tradition of advocating for migrant rights, has frequently found itself at odds with administrations pursuing stricter enforcement.

Immigration experts note that this tension reflects broader divisions in American society regarding national security concerns versus humanitarian obligations. The Trump administration has prioritized deportations as a cornerstone of its border security strategy, arguing that strict enforcement deters illegal crossings and protects American communities.

Critics, including many religious leaders, counter that mass deportations separate families and fail to address the root causes driving migration, such as violence and economic instability in migrants’ home countries.

Homan concluded by claiming the U.S. now has “the most secure border in the history of this nation” because of strict enforcement under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an assertion that reflects the administration’s focus on border security as a key policy achievement.

As deportations continue and the administration maintains its hardline stance, the confrontation between government officials and religious leaders appears likely to intensify, with both sides claiming moral authority in the contentious immigration debate.