Border czar Tom Homan on Thursday invited Catholic leadership to watch him and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials perform their duties and see "why illegal immigration is not a victimless crime."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has criticized ICE enforcement tactics and detention conditions, warning about fear in immigrant communities and saying bishops are concerned about "conditions in detention centers" and "lack of access to pastoral care."
Pope Leo XIV similarly urged authorities to allow pastoral workers to minister to detainees and said longtime residents "never causing problems" have been "deeply affected" by current enforcement.
During an appearance on "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo," Homan, a practicing Catholic, rejected claims that enforcement is incompatible with human dignity.
He argued that refusing to enforce immigration laws invites cartels, fuels trafficking, and increases deaths on the journey north.
He also said a secure border and barriers "save lives" by reducing the number of vulnerable women and children pushed into dangerous routes controlled by smugglers.
The debate turned even more heated after a parish outside Boston altered a Nativity display to protest ICE actions, removing the Holy Family and replacing it with a sign reading "ICE was here," according to the National Catholic Reporter.
The Archdiocese of Boston publicly objected and called for the display to be removed as inappropriate politicization of sacred objects.
Homan said such messaging encourages hostility toward agents and warned the rhetoric surrounding ICE has become dangerous.
Homan defended what he called a historic immigration enforcement push under President Donald Trump, arguing it is focused first on "public safety threats" and "national security threats," while still enforcing the law against anyone found in the country illegally.
Homan said the administration's current pace is already exceeding prior benchmarks, claiming the operation is nearing "around 600,000" removals in less than a year and projecting even higher numbers as the administration seeks to add 10,000 more agents and "tripling the size of the ICE enforcement branch."
A major part of the effort, Homan said, is locating migrant children who disappeared into the U.S. interior after entering during the Biden administration.
He said roughly a half-million children were smuggled into the country and that the government "lost track" of about 300,000.
Homan said the Trump administration has already located 62,456 children, with some found safe with relatives but others in "forced labor" or "forced sexual slavery."
He added that even those who have "aged out" past 18 will still be pursued because exploitation does not end at adulthood.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.