Pope Francis criticized the U.S. government's mass deportation program, emphasizing that it undermines the dignity of migrants. In a letter to U.S. bishops, he articulated that the reasons many migrants leave their countries include extreme poverty and persecution. He recognized the right of nations to protect themselves, but condemned deportation actions based solely on legal status, arguing they lead to vulnerability. Drawing on biblical migration stories, he urged compassion and constructive policy towards migrants, expressing concern over the moral implications of current deportation practices in the U.S.
"The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families."
"I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations... the rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality."
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