The Catholic Defender: Pope Leo XIV takes issue with President Trump's massive sending Illegal Immigrants home especially those who have come here committing terrible crimes in America

The impact of local government support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a central point of debate in immigration policy, with evidence suggesting that increased cooperation significantly accelerates the "arrest-to-deportation pipeline"

Estimated Population Increase: Independent fact-checks indicate that claims of "20 million" entries are not supported by data. The Department of Homeland Security estimated that about 2.3 million people were released into the U.S. to await court proceedings between 2021 and 2023.

"Gotaways": It is estimated that nearly 2 million individuals evaded Border Patrol entirely (known as "gotaways") during this timeframe.

Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to Donald Trump, said on Fox News Wednesday after two members of the National Guard were shot dead in Washington, D.C, "The breaking news tonight is saying that his government is going to accelerate efforts to review every single person added to this country over the last four years, all 20 million."

"Vice President JD Vance and a collection of online conservative commentators have argued that, as president, Joe Biden let in 20 or 30 million illegal immigrants, swelling their population to 30—50 million.

The Department of Homeland Security said more than 2 million undocumented migrants have left the United States, including about 1.6 million who voluntarily self-deported and more than 527,000 who were formally removed, according to a press release issued on October 27, 2025.

In January 2025, 53.3 million immigrants lived in the country, accounting for 15.8 percent of the population, according to Pew. But by June, departures and deportations outpaced new arrivals, reducing the immigrant population to 51.9 million, or 15.4 percent of all U.S. residents.

When local governments and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) actively support ICE, they often act as a "force multiplier" for federal enforcement.

287(g) Agreements: These formal partnerships allow local officers to be "deputized" to perform federal immigration functions, such as interrogating individuals about their status and processing them for deportation. States like Florida and Georgia require this collaboration and have subsequently seen much higher rates of immigration-related arrests.

ICE Detainers and Holds: Supporting local governments honor "detainer" requests, which ask jails to hold individuals for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release time so ICE can take custody. Without this local support, ICE must often obtain a judicial warrant or coordinate arrests in the community, which is more resource-intensive.

Information Sharing: Cooperative jurisdictions provide ICE with real-time access to jail databases and release dates, allowing agents to seize individuals exactly when they would otherwise be going home.

Proponents of Cooperation: Argue that these partnerships are essential crime-fighting tools that protect communities by ensuring "removable aliens" are not released back into the public. They note that from October 2022 to February 2025, over 26,000 ICE detainers were declined nationwide, potentially allowing individuals with pending charges to be released.

Official reports from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) frequently highlight arrests of illegal aliens convicted of heinous crimes. Some notable examples reported in 2025 and early 2026 include

Gildardo Amandor-Martinez: An illegal alien from Mexico accused of murdering a 15-year-old boy, Luis Lopez, who was attempting to protect his mother from an attempted rape in Kentucky.

Hector Alberto Bueno-Tavera: A Dominican national convicted of murder using a firearm in New York.

Israel Cobian-Sandoval: A Mexican national convicted of homicide in Chicago.

Yorvis Michel Carrascal Campo: A confirmed member of the Tren de Aragua gang charged with murder and racketeering in New Mexico.

Mena Mohsen Farez Nmn Awad: An Egyptian national arrested for the rape of a 16-year-old girl in Tennessee.

Jovinnel Giron Meneses: Convicted in Massachusetts for the aggravated rape of a child and several other counts of indecent assault.

Pedro Gutierrez-Villegas: Convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child in Illinois.

Conrrado Ahuexoteco Atrisco: A Mexican national charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student in Utah.

Law Enforcement Data: ICE reported that in fiscal year 2023, its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had a total of 290,178 associated charges and convictions, including 1,713 for homicide and 4,390 for sex and sexual assault.

Regional Studies: A 2025 report from the Tennessee District Attorney General's Conference found that of over 20,000 charges against undocumented immigrants in one year, approximately 10% (2,183) were for violent crimes, including 31 murders or homicides. A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) investigation covering several years found that illegal immigrants were charged with over 1,100 homicides and 3,500 sexual assaults, suggesting a homicide conviction rate slightly higher than the overall state population in that specific timeframe.

Public opinion in 2025 and 2026 shows a significant and bipartisan consensus in favor of deporting undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes, such as murder and rape.

Violent Criminals: A January 2025 AP-NORC poll found that the vast majority of adults favor deporting undocumented immigrants convicted of violent crimes, including 79% of Democrats and 89% of Republicans.

Recent Arrests: In February 2026 alone, ICE reported arrests of individuals convicted of murder, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, and rape.

According to the ICE Annual Report, the agency carried out removals for individuals with thousands of serious convictions, including: 2,699 homicides. 16,552 sexual assaults and sex offenses. 47,885 assaults.

Operational Focus: Under the current administration, officials have prioritized "the worst of the worst," targeting those with violent criminal backgrounds to maintain public safety and "keep the faith" with the American people.

In March 2026, Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national in the country illegally, was charged with the first-degree murder of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old freshman at Loyola University Chicago

On Truth Social, the president called Leo's election a "Great Honor for our country."

Response from the White House: In response to the Pope's "hands full of blood" comments, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration, stating that U.S. leaders and troops appreciate the power of prayer during turbulent times.

Despite these public clashes, the Pope has recently expressed "cautious hope" that the President is genuinely seeking a path toward ending ongoing conflicts.