Story perspectives

Pope Leo XIV Praises Immigrants, Trump Fires Back

7/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Pope Leo XIV’s immigration remarks sparked a public feud with President Donald Trump.
Speaking from Vatican to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, he received the 2026 Liberty Medal, praised America as a “byword for freedom” built by immigrant waves, and urged adherence to the Declaration of Independence.
President Donald Trump dismissed the pope’s comments as weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy while defending his hard-line immigration approach.

History

Historical Context

In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, ending the National Origins Formula that had limited immigration since the 1924 act. The law set a 120,000-person annual cap for the Western Hemisphere, spurred family reunification, doubled total immigration by 1970 and raised the foreign-born share from 5% to 14% by 2016.

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Story summary

Pope Leo XIV’s immigration remarks sparked a public feud with President Donald Trump.
Speaking from Vatican to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, he received the 2026 Liberty Medal, praised America as a “byword for freedom” built by immigrant waves, and urged adherence to the Declaration of Independence.
President Donald Trump dismissed the pope’s comments as weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy while defending his hard-line immigration approach.

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