Pope Leo decries 'grave crime' of mistreatment of immigrants

In his first major document, he urges world aid for immigrants and echoes Francis’ sharp critique of Trump

Pope Leo XIV holds a Palestinian keffiyeh on a day of the meeting with participants in the World Meeting of Popular Movements in the Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Oct 23, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Pope Leo decried mistreatment of immigrants as a "grave crime" on Thursday, pressing ahead with a message of welcome for migrants weeks after criticizing US President Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies.

Leo, the first US pope, did not mention Trump or his policies specifically at a Vatican meeting with international grassroots organizations, but said governments had a "moral obligation to provide refuge" to migrants in need.

"With the abuse of vulnerable migrants, we are witnessing, not the legitimate exercise of national sovereignty, but rather grave crimes committed or tolerated by the state," the pope said.

"Ever more inhuman measures are being adopted – even celebrated politically – that treat these 'undesirables' as if they were garbage and not human beings," he said.

Leo, elected in May to replace the late Pope Francis, has been ramping up his disapproval of the Trump administration's treatment of those seeking a better life abroad, drawing a heated backlash from some prominent conservative Catholics.

In his first major document, issued on Oct 9, he made a plea for the world to help immigrants and invoked one of Francis' strongest criticisms of Trump.

In September, Leo criticised the "inhuman" treatment of immigrants in the US and questioned whether Trump's policies were in line with the Catholic Church's pro-life teachings.

In Thursday's speech, focused on the needs of the world's poor, Leo also criticised rising economic inequality, profits made by pharmaceutical companies, and exploitative mining for materials, such as coltan and lithium, used in modern devices.

"Their extraction depends on paramilitary violence, child labour and the displacement of populations," the pontiff said about the mining activity.

"The competition among the great powers and the large corporations for (their) extraction represents a grave menace to the sovereignty and the stability of poor states," he said.

Leo said the success of the pharmaceutical industry "represents great progress for some, but not without ambiguity."

He decried the use of fentanyl in the United States, part of a drug crisis that has killed some 450,000 Americans.

The pope also repeated a phrase often used by Francis, calling for the Catholic Church to become "a poor Church for the poor."