Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of San Diego, is one of the most senior leaders in the Catholic Church in the US. He has forcefully opposed President Donald Trump’s mass immigration deportation policies as “morally repugnant.” McElroy’s remarks reflect broader concerns about the treatment of undocumented individuals in the country and the implications of recent policy changes.
In negotiations around immigration last year, President Trump said these issues were an “incredibly strong current.” He emphasized that he is fulfilling the mandate given by the American people during the November elections to implement his campaign promises into law. Trump has touted his immigration reform as part of a “big, beautiful bill,” which he claims will be one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed.
McElroy, who Pope Francis appointed to shepherd the Archdiocese of San Diego in January of 2017, had earlier made an impassioned defense of the government’s right to deport anyone convicted of serious crimes. He underscored that this process always needs to honor human dignity. He called deportation raids “inhumane,” calling them indiscriminate actions that lead to family separation.
“It is a mass, indiscriminate deportation of men and women and children and families which literally rips families apart and is intended to do so.” – Cardinal Robert McElroy
The cardinal also underscored that what makes immigration issues difficult lies within an American political system. This complex system has failed to address a reliable immigration law and reform over the past 15 years. He decried the climate of fear that Trump’s presidency has created for undocumented immigrants. This is the cruel reality he outlined where 10 million individuals today live in daily fear, even dodging enforcement actions by not going to their places of worship.
“This is simply not only incompatible with Catholic teaching, it’s inhumane and is morally repugnant.” – Cardinal Robert McElroy
McElroy wrote these words following Trump’s highly publicized stop at a migrant concentration camp in Florida. This facility, colloquially referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz,” has come under increased watch over its terrible conditions. The cardinal’s concern extends beyond policy. He argues that the administration’s enforcement mechanisms instill terror rather than help support a safe, humane immigration system.
“The scenes that occurred in Los Angeles where you saw mass agents of the government descending on car washers and Costco parking lots to round up whoever they can round up is not a sign of going after those who have criminal convictions.” – Cardinal Robert McElroy
Vice President JD Vance answered McElroy’s critiques with a doozy. He implied that certain bishops might be tempted to sell out based on monetary considerations rather than simply having a vested interest in immigrant lives. This assertion certainly reflects the fraught climate in which discussions of immigration have become taboo, even in faith-based spaces and among the political class.
Even among those carrying these tensions, McElroy has persisted in calling for a more compassionate approach. He’s taken on other issues aside from immigration. He speaks out in favor of the ordination of women as deacons and emphasizes the moral dimension of foreign policy. He received a Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University. While studying, he focused on the role of moral norms in international relations.
“There’s something radically wrong with a society that takes from the poorest to give to the wealthiest. It’s just wrong.” – Cardinal Robert McElroy
In addition to his critiques of Trump’s policies, McElroy has articulated a vision for addressing societal inequalities and moral imperatives. He is convinced that the most effective reforms are those that can be integrated into an overarching narrative of justice and equity.
As these extreme arguments play out, the separation between these political leaders and religious figures is growing deeper. Together with his powers of prose and storytelling, McElroy’s voice brings a vital new, critical dimension to an ongoing national debate about immigration policy and its human implications. Trump would like the voters who put him into office to think that he’s fighting for them. At the same time, McElroy insists, all policies should be driven first and foremost by compassion and dignity for all people.
“The American people elected President Trump, not a DC Archbishop, to serve as their President.” – Abigail Jackson
