Without a doubt, the one Trump policy that has caused the most real controversy, rather than media hyperventilation, is his determination to close the borders to illegals and begin a methodical program of deporting illegals already in the US. The Pope called the policy a "disaster" and said that Trump would show he was "not a Christian" if he went ahead with it. The new executive order has provoked calls for resistance by progressive state and local officials, and it has also caused the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which represents (lol) the interests of American Catholics, to oppose the policy.

Earlier in the week, Trump's Border Czar, Tom Homan, did something I don't think any American official has done. He took a shot at the Pope, labeling his position as hypocrisy.

NEW: Border Czar Tom Homan responds to Catholic outcry over Trump’s deportation operation, calls out the Pope for living behind massive 30 foot walls.

Homan told the Pope to fix the Catholic church before he starts criticizing the United States.

“They have a wall around the… pic.twitter.com/YTRoZ7DIH5

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 25, 2025

They have a wall around the Vatican. And if you illegally enter the Vatican, the crime is serious. You'll be charged with a serious crime. Be jailed. So he can protect the Vatican where he lives. He can build a wall where he lives, but American people are not allowed that.

Homan is referring to Vatican City's no-nonsense ban on illegal immigrants that can bring a stiff jail sentence.

Sunday, on "Meet the Press," Vice President JD Vance put the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on notice.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this week condemned some of the executive orders signed by President Trump, specifically those allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enter churches and to enter schools. Do you personally support the idea of conducting a raid or enforcement action in a church service, at a school?

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: Well, let me, let me address this. Of course, if you have a person who is convicted of a violent crime, whether they're an illegal immigrant or a non-illegal immigrant, you have to go and get that person to protect the public safety. That's not unique to immigration. But let me just address the- this particular issue, Margaret. Because as a practicing Catholic, I was actually heartbroken by that statement. And I think that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line? We're going to enforce immigration law. We're going to protect the American people. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: Donald Trump promised to do that. And I believe the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, if they're worried about the humanitarian costs of immigration enforcement, let them talk about the children who have been sex trafficked because of the wide open border of Joe Biden--  

...

MARGARET BRENNAN: You think the US Conference of Catholics Bishops is- are actively hiding criminals from law enforcement?

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: I think the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has, frankly, not been a good partner in common sense immigration enforcement that the American people voted for, and I hope, again, as a devout Catholic, that they'll do better.

This is the kicker. 

And I think that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?

In a "Law & Order" episode, Jack McCoy (to digress, is the kind of pompous, vicious dirtbag that sends grandmothers to jail for walking on the Capitol grass or praying at an abortuary) would say, "It goes to motive."

This is what Vice President Vance is talking about.

He left this part out. pic.twitter.com/FmSLSTqNms

— Lepanto Institute (@LepantoInst) January 23, 2025

And Catholic Charities is not alone. These are some of the more recent figures.

1. Catholic Charities USA: Funding: Received approximately $1.4 billion from the government for resettlement activities in recent years. In 2022, Catholic Charities received more than $800 million to aid undocumented immigrants. 

2. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS): Funding: Approximately $183 million from the government for resettlement programs. 

3. Church World Service: Funding: Received a grant of $18,079,600 in 2023 for refugee assistance. Also mentioned to have received $109 million to help undocumented immigrants. 

4. Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS): Funding: Reported to have received about $41 million from the government for similar activities

It looks like CBS News went so far as to delete their tweet (or whatever we're calling it on X) that had the amount of money given to Catholic Charities for migrant services.

If you want to know why the leaders of the USCCB are spending their time pretending that open borders are a part of the Catechism, it's because over half of its total revenue in 2023 came from the $129M in government contracts they received to resettle illegals in our country. https://t.co/TD3mBfiP12 pic.twitter.com/YE4QS5ukwr

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 24, 2025

This is the thing about large charities: if they solve the problem they service, they go out of business, which means many people lose their jobs. So, is Catholic Charities, and any of its sister organizations in other denominations, better off if illegal immigration stops or if it goes like gangbusters? The answer is obvious. 

I think Vance is exactly right in this critique. The Catholic bishops' organization's opposition to Trump's policy is driven a lot less by religious fervor than by enlightened self-interest.