‘Not happy with what’s going on’: Pope Leo XIV’s brother reveals the Pope won’t be silent on Trump or immigration

The selection of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV has drawn a lot of attention, especially regarding his probable position on U.S. immigration policy. His brother, John Prevost, spoke to the New York Times and shared that the new Pope is “not happy with what’s going on with immigration” and does not plan to stay quiet about it.

His brother told said, “The best way I could describe him right now is that he will be following in Francis’ footsteps. They were very good friends. They knew each other before he was Pope, before my brother even was Bishop.”

This comment, along with social media activity before the election that is thought to be connected to the new Pope, points to him continuing Pope Francis’s strong support for migrants and the poor. Before becoming Pope, an X account believed to belong to Cardinal Prevost shared many articles and statements criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Trump may not have the Pope’s approval

These posts covered several years, according to The Guardian, going back to 2011. The account often highlighted articles that denounced the Trump administration’s mass deportations and the practice of separating migrant children from their parents, calling these actions “heartless” and saying they encouraged “racism and nativism.”

One post from 2015 even referenced Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan’s description of Trump’s “anti-immigrant rhetoric” as “problematic.” In April 2025, the account shared a post asking whether President Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador understood the pain caused by their immigration policies.

Additionally, the account linked to Prevost interacted with commentary that directly challenged Vice President JD Vance’s understanding of Catholic teachings on immigration. One post shared an article that disagreed with Vance’s use of the idea of “ordo amoris” (rightly ordered love) to defend the Trump administration’s policies. The article argued that Vance’s interpretation twisted Christian teachings about compassion and the duty to help everyone in need, no matter their citizenship status.

John Prevost described his brother as politically “middle-of-the-road” but stressed that the new Pope would not avoid speaking his mind. He pointed out the close friendship between Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis, saying that Leo XIV plans to follow his predecessor’s example. Pope Francis was an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s strict immigration approach, openly opposing the building of walls instead of bridges and calling mass deportations a crisis that harmed human dignity.