In an interview with Fox News Digital, Barron, arguably the most prominent Catholic prelate in America, said that despite criticism within the church of the administration\u2019s immigration policy<\/a>, “there are darn good reasons, moral reasons, for being concerned about an open border.”<\/p>\n “I don’t think it’s fair to say to a conservative, to a Republican, you’re just being difficult and anti-humanitarian,” he said, adding that “at times, the Catholic left is great for calling for dialogue and bridge-building \u2014 until it comes to conservatives.”<\/p>\n He said that for many Catholics on the left, “when it comes to conservatives, just tell them what they should be doing and saying.”<\/p>\n “No, no, let’s build bridges of conversation. That’s a role the Church can play,” he said. “What I don’t want from the church is a kind of demonization of the Trump administration.”<\/p>\n PROMINENT CATHOLIC BISHOP SLAMS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED MN CHURCH SERVICE: ‘UNACCEPTABLE’<\/a><\/p>\n Bishop Robert Barron said the reality of human trafficking of children and “the disappearance of children we’ve lost track of completely in this process” are “moral reasons” for stricter border security. (Texas DPS; Nathan Howard\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/p>\n “If there are points of disagreement, whether it’s immigration or it’s the [Iran] war<\/a> or whatever, let’s talk about it, let’s talk.”<\/p>\n Barron said he has been trying to encourage dialogue on both the immigration and Iran issues. Though he admitted he has “not always met with success, frankly, from the ecclesial side.”<\/p>\n Despite this, Barron said he “would like those conversations to continue.”<\/p>\n The bishop revealed he was deeply moved by a passionate appeal for stricter border security from border czar Tom Homan<\/a> during a recent White House call. He said he was participating in it as part of his work on President Donald Trump\u2019s Religious Liberty Commission.<\/p>\n Barron said Homan, who he noted is a Catholic, “spoke with great passion \u2026 and he said he’s come out of retirement twice to engage this issue.”<\/p>\n “Why? He said that because he’s seen the terrible destruction caused by an open border. And he was talking about, especially human trafficking, the human trafficking of children, the disappearance of children we’ve lost track of completely in this process.”<\/p>\n POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS<\/a><\/p>\n White House border czar Tom Homan holds a press conference along the border wall between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, on Dec. 13, 2025, to announce increased security on the southwest border. (REUTERS\/Mike Blake)<\/p>\n “He was saying, we can’t simply fall for the simplistic view that an open border is humanitarian, that an open border is kind to the stranger \u2026 an open border also produces enormous moral problems,” said Barron.<\/p>\n “You could tell that it was affecting him very deeply, very personally,” he said. “I found that very moving.”<\/p>\n “It’s not just, well, the bad guy, Republicans, who want to enforce immigration laws. It’s Republicans for very good moral reasons who want to enforce immigration law,” he said.<\/p>\n At the same time, Barron emphasized that there are “values on both sides” of the debate.<\/p>\n He said that even through Trump\u2019s feud with Pope Leo XIV<\/a>, he has encouraged real dialogue and conversation between the Vatican and Washington. He said he has met with “a lot of Catholics inside the Trump administration who are interested in bringing the church’s teaching to bear.”<\/p>\n EXCLUSIVE: CATHOLIC BISHOPS CHIDED FOR SOWING \u2018CONFUSION\u2019 ON DEPORTATION STANCE<\/a><\/p>\n Pope Leo XIV met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Vatican City; Rubio has been lauded by President Donald Trump as someone who is able to bridge gaps in diplomatic relations unlike any other. (Vatican Media\/Vatican Pool\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n He posited that “part of the problem in the Trump-pope battle was that the president was treating the pope too much as a politician.”<\/p>\n![\"Bishop](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/migrant-children-bishop-barron.png\")
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