Criticism Of Donald Trump's Plan To Handle Immigrants, Pope Francis: Not Solving Problems

Illustration of the United States-Mexico border. (Wikimedia Commons/US Customs and Border Protection)

JAKARTA - World Catholic Church leader Pope Francis on Sunday criticized US President-elect Donald Trump's plans to intensify immigration law enforcement measures across the country, shortly after his inauguration on Monday.

In an Italian television interview, the Pope said it would be "aib" if Trump continued the plan, in a very harsh language for the Leaders of the World Catholic Church.

"That will make migrants, who have nothing, pay unpaid bills," the Pope said.

"It didn't work. You didn't solve the problem this way," he said.

The Pope's statement was delivered during a video link from his residence in the Vatican with the "Che Tempo Che Fa" program on Channel 9 Italy.

The Pope has made the welcoming of migrants the main theme of nearly 12 years of his papality, and previously he criticized Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric.

As previously reported, Trump at the "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" at the Capital One Arena, Washington said he would impose strict immigration restrictions on his first day in office, pledging to immediately fulfill the main promises of his presidential campaign.

"At sunset tomorrow, the invasion of our country will stop," he said.

Trump repeated his campaign promise to launch the biggest deportation attempt in US history, which will move millions of immigrants. However, such a large-scale operation is likely to take years and is very expensive.

"This is the largest political movement in American history, and 75 days ago, we achieved the most epic political victory our country has ever seen," he said.

"Starting tomorrow, I will act at a historic pace of strength and improve every crisis facing our country," he said.

Activities on Sunday and his inauguration address on Monday can be a preview of the tone he will apply during his second term at the White House.

He promised to revoke "any radical and stupid executive order from the Joe Biden Administration" within hours of holding the presidency during the day local time.

A source familiar with the plan said Trump would take more than 200 executive actions on Monday.

Border security will be the main thing in Trump's first executive order, another source said, including classifying drug cartels as a "foreign terrorist organization," declaring a state of emergency on the US-Mexico border and moving towards restoring a "Stay in Mexico" policy that forces non-Mexico asylum seekers to wait in Mexico until their US court schedule.

Trump's deportation plans have left immigrants targeted for deportation uncomfortable, including some that immigrants say are law-abiding permanent residents with US spouses and children.