Overview

• In a Vatican meeting with El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz and border ministers, Leo received dozens of letters and a video from migrant families describing deportation fears and daily life disruptions.
• The pope told attendees that the Church cannot remain silent and pledged, “You stand with me, and I stand with you,” according to the HOPE Border Institute.
• Seitz said Leo wants the U.S. bishops’ conference to speak strongly about the treatment of immigrants under the administration’s policies.
• In a separate audience, Leo encouraged about 100 Latino Catholic ministers serving frightened communities, delivering supportive remarks in Spanish.
• The White House defended the enforcement push as fulfilling a promise to deport criminal illegal aliens, following Leo’s recent critique questioning whether harsh tactics align with Catholic pro-life teaching.