Pope Leo places former illegal immigrant in charge of red state diocese

The bishop has also been critical of the increased immigration enforcement measures, calling them a human rights concern and responding directly to critiques of the Church from fellow Catholics in the Trump administration like border czar Thomas Homan.

After commentary piled up on social media Friday, Wheeling diocesan spokesman Tim Bishop told Fox News Digital that Menjivar-Ayala's appointment is a blessing to West Virginians, praising the clergyman's pastoral work and service.

"Any insinuation that the Holy Father made this or any other appointment in any way to increase vitriol or insinuate that it gets back at the president of the United States is absurd," he added, while noting he is not speaking for Leo.

The Roman Catholic Church "worries about the lamb, not the elephant or the donkey," he said.

At a 2025 forum, Menjivar-Ayala said criticism of the Catholic Church's stance toward immigration enforcement is not a question for him to answer but for those officials to discern how they are living the Gospel, after he was asked about Homan's comments that bishops at a national conference in Baltimore were "wrong" in rebuking illegal immigration enforcement.

"The question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants," Menjivar-Ayala said, according to World Catholic Report, which also said the newly minted West Virginian advised caution about characterizing illegal immigration as similar to murder and theft.

Menjivar-Ayala tried as many as three times as a teenager to flee to the U.S. but was caught each time, including once by Mexican authorities who imprisoned him.

The Washington Post characterized Leo's move Friday as another effort to "elevate" American clergy relevant to tension points with the Trump administration.

Trump has said he has "nothing against" Leo and has a right to disagree on subjects like the legitimacy and human rights aspects of the Iran conflict and illegal immigration crisis.

"Yet, while redemptive suffering is a grace, it would be better still if these injustices and infamies did not happen at all," the bishop later added, calling for people to speak up in the style of martyred St. Oscar Romero.

He went on to say that the "dark side of anti-immigrant animus" cannot be allowed to take hold and called some recent enforcement behavior a "violation of fundamental human rights," while also appearing to reference actions taken against the Catholic Church in that regard.