US-Mexico border
Pope says America’s immigration problems pre-date Trump
Pope Francis has said he is “on the side” of the US bishops when it comes to separating immigrant families at the Mexican border. The bishops strongly criticised the practice and, amid an outcry, President Donald Trump backtracked, signing an executive order to ensure families were kept together. In an interview with Reuters, Francis declined to comment more directly on the policy, saying he did not know the situation well. But he said the problem pre-dated Trump. “During the Obama years I celebrated Mass in Ciudad Juárez, while on the other side of the border 50 bishops concelebrated … It’s not just an issue with Trump but goes back to prior governments.”
