(LifeSiteNews) — President Donald Trump’s Catholic border chief Tom Homan, asked by reporters Tuesday about Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV and the Church hierarchy over their positions on the administration’s immigration and foreign policies, said the pontiff and the hierarchy should “stay out of politics” and focus on the Church.

In response to a reporter’s question about Trump’s April 12 Truth Social post attacking what he sees as Pope Leo and the Church’s positions on crime, immigration, and foreign policy, and the American pontiff’s response defending his statements, Homan emphasized that as a lifelong Catholic he’d prefer if the pope and the bishops stayed out of politics and focus on “fixing the Church.”

Trump’s post came within hours of a 60 Minutes interview in which Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, and Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., delivered leftist talking points on immigration.

🇺🇸🇻🇦 Border Czar Tom Homan in response to a question about Trump’s feud with Pope Leo:
I’m speaking for myself, a lifelong Catholic. I wish they’d stay out of immigration. They don’t know what they’re talking about.

If they understood the atrocities that happened on the open… pic.twitter.com/Qym4dge9TW

— The Daily News (@DailyNewsJustIn) April 14, 2026

“I’m a lifelong Catholic … I love the Catholic Church. I just wish theyʼd stick to fixing the Church because thereʼs issues … and stay out of politics,” the border czar said.

Homan, referring to the 60 Minutes interview, stressed that these cardinals who criticized the administration’s immigration policies as inhumane don’t understand how these policies have saved lives by reducing migration and thus saving women and children from sex trafficking and Americans from fentanyl overdose.

The border czar added that he’d be happy to sit down and discuss these issues with the cardinals and Pope Leo.

“(A) secure border saves lives. A secure border is the most humane thing we can do; with an open border, the most vulnerable people in the world are going to give their life savings to the cartels, making that dangerous journey,” he said.

“I wish (the cardinals would) sit down with me and hear my experiences (over) the last 40 years,” he added. “Maybe (then) they’d understand why a secure border saves lives.”

In February, Homan made similar remarks, saying he’d be happy to sit down with Pope Leo to discuss the dangers of mass illegal immigration and the Trump administration’s policies.

READ: Trump border czar says he’d be ‘happy’ to meet with Pope Leo and discuss immigration policy

“Look, what (Pope Leo) doesn’t understand is there’s a flip side to illegal immigration, 31% of women get raped making that journey,” the border czar said at the time. “Over 4,000 aliens died making that journey under Joe Biden, a quarter-million Americans died of fentanyl because of the open border. When you overwhelm the border patrol, all the bad things happen: Sex trafficking increases, fentanyl increases.”

While Catholic social teaching affirms that immigrants should be treated with dignity and respect, it also notes that a country has a right to secure its borders. In the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB’s) “Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration and the Movement of Peoples,” the conference outlines that countries are under no obligation to accept all who wish to enter.

In his strongly worded Sunday Truth Social post, Trump notably called Pope Leo “weak on crime,” which appeared to be a reference to the pontiff’s repeated criticism of his immigration policies. The 47th president also referred explicitly to a recent Vatican meeting between the Holy Father and David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, presenting the encounter as evidence of alignment with leftist political figures opposed to his administration.

READ: Trump attacks Pope Leo XIV after Vatican meeting with Obama advisor

Trump also slammed Pope Leo’s condemnation of the war in Iran, writing that he did not want “a Pope who thinks it’s ok for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Similar to Homan, Trump further stated that Leo should “focus on being a great Pope, not a politician.”

The next day, on April 13, during a flight from Rome to Algiers, the pontiff responded to Trump’s criticism by stating that he does not fear the Trump administration and does not intend to engage in a debate, as he is not a politician. He further explained that his role as the Holy Father is to proclaim the Gospel and to speak clearly against war.

“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am called to do, what the Church is called to do,” Leo said. “We are not politicians. We are not dealing with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it, but I do believe in the message of the Gospel: ‘blessed are the peacemakers,’ is a message the world needs to hear.”

The Holy Father further implied that the president is misusing the Gospel.

“I do not believe the message of the Gospel should be misused, as some are doing. I continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, fostering dialogue and multilateral cooperation among states in order to find solutions to problems,” the pontiff said. “Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent lives have been lost, and I believe someone must stand up and say that there is a better way.”