Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday expressed strong support for U.S. bishops who criticized the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, urging Americans to listen to the church leaders and treat migrants with dignity.

The pope, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, was asked about the “special message” released last week by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during their general assembly. The statement condemned mass deportations and the “vilification” of migrants, highlighting the fear and anxiety immigration raids have caused and the lack of pastoral care for those in detention centers.

Leo praised the bishops’ message and said it is important for Catholics and all people of goodwill to heed their guidance. “I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have,” he said. “If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there’s a system of justice.”

Acknowledging flaws in the U.S. migration system, Leo stressed that advocating for humane treatment does not mean advocating open borders. “But when people are living good lives, and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years, to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful to say the least — and there’s been some violence unfortunately — I think that the bishops have been very clear in what they said,” he added.

The bishops’ statement marked a rare single-issue message, the first since 2013, and was accompanied by an Instagram video of bishops reading the text to emphasize its message.

Leo also discussed upcoming travel plans for 2026, including possible visits to Peru, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay, following the end of the Holy Year. Next week, he will undertake his first foreign trip as pope to Turkey and Lebanon.