WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, dismissed Pope Francis’ criticism on Tuesday of US deportation policies, telling him to "stick to the Catholic Church."

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Homan, who identified himself as a lifelong Catholic, pushed back against the pontiff’s remarks.

"He ought to fix the Catholic Church and concentrate on his work and leave border enforcement to us," said Homan. "Stick to the Catholic Church. Leave border enforcement to us".

❝He ought to fix the Catholic Church and concentrate on his work and leave border enforcement to us❞

President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, rejects Pope Francis' criticism of America's deportation policy, telling him to 'stick to the Catholic Church'… pic.twitter.com/hJympU45hM

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Francis criticized Trump’s policy on Monday for the mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

“The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality,” Francis said in a letter, underlining that he is watching the “major crisis” in the US about deportations.

The pontiff said deporting people undermines their dignity, disrupts families and leaves them vulnerable and defenseless.

In response, Homan pointed to Vatican security measures.

"He wants to attack us securing our border? He has a wall around the Vatican, does he not? So, he has a wall to protect his people and himself, but we can’t have a wall around the United States," Homan added.

Trump has signed executive orders aimed at expelling large numbers of illegal immigrants, including measures to end birthright citizenship from his first day in office on Jan. 20.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since intensified arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants.