Pope Leo XIV said he is troubled by the violent and at times "extremely disrespectful" ways migrants have been treated in the United States.
The Pope made his remarks while answering questions from journalists at Castel Gandolfo, the papal vacation residence outside Rome.
"We have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts. There's a system of justice," the Pope said.
"No one has said that the United States should have open borders," the Pope continued. "I think every country has the right to determine who enters, how, and when."
However, he added, "when people have lived good lives—many of them for 10, 15, 20 years—treating them in a way that is, to say the least, extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence, is troubling."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a "special message" last week lamenting the Trump administration's immigration policies. Pope Leo, who was born in Chicago and spent 20 years as a missionary and bishop in Peru, had encouraged the bishops to produce a strong and clear statement.
"We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people," the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said. "We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement."
Asked about the bishops' comments, Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar," said "a secure border saves lives. We're going to enforce the law and by doing that we save a lot of lives."
On October 27, the Trump administration said it had deported more than 527,000 migrants since taking office in January.
Daniel Burke contributed to this story.
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