In a world where politics and religion often dance around each other like awkward teenagers at a prom, Tom Homan, the former ICE director and Trump’s Border Czar, decided it was high time to cut in and lead. Known for his no-nonsense approach to border security, Homan has been the tough-love uncle at the national family reunion, always ready with a stern lecture on immigration. But his latest comment? It was like he told the Pope to sit down and let the adults handle this.
Leading up to this mic-drop moment, Homan had been on a roll, dishing out his brand of tough love on immigration policy with the subtlety of a sledgehammer at a tea party. From defending the controversial family separation policy with a straight face to advocating for deportations like he was handing out flyers for a neighborhood cleanup, Homan was the administration’s go-to guy for hardline stances.
Then, in a twist that could only happen in the reality TV show that is modern politics, Pope Francis threw his papal hat into the ring with a letter to U.S. Catholic bishops. The Pope, ever the global moral compass, criticized the Trump administration’s approach to immigration as a “major crisis,” pointing out the moral failings of mass deportations with the finesse of a seasoned diplomat. But Homan, not one to back down from a celestial challenge, had a response that was as direct as a freight train on a one-track mind.
During an interview, with the confidence of a man who’s seen it all, Homan suggested the Pope should focus on “fixing the Catholic Church” and leave the heavy lifting of border enforcement to the U.S. It was like he was telling the Pope, “Bless your heart, but we’ve got this.” His comment, “Stick to the Catholic Church. Leave border enforcement to us,” was less a suggestion and more a humorous mic drop, putting the pontiff in his place with the kind of blunt humor that could make even St. Peter chuckle.
As for President Trump, known for his own brand of Twitter diplomacy, he’s stayed unusually quiet on this papal tussle. Perhaps he’s letting Homan do the heavy lifting, or maybe he’s just saving his energy for the next big tweet. Either way, the silence from the White House adds a comedic pause to this international exchange, leaving us all to wonder if Trump’s next move might be to send the Pope a signed copy of “The Art of the Deal” as a peace offering.
In the grand scheme, Homan’s remark might just be a footnote in the annals of U.S.-Vatican relations, but it’s a footnote written with the kind of humor that only comes from putting one of the world’s most revered figures in a gentle, yet firm, timeout. It’s a reminder that in the realm of border security, Homan believes the U.S. calls the shots, even if it means occasionally telling the Pope to take a pew.
