International
Leo XIV, an American pope who challenges Trump’s immigration policy?
The election of Pope Leon XIV has been received with hope by the defenders of immigrants on the border between the United States and Mexico, who see him as a follower of Francis’ legacy and a possible moral counterweight to Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies.
This is the widespread feeling in the border town of El Paso (Texas), one of the most Catholic municipalities in the United States and where the church has been leading the defense of migrants for decades.
“He is a pope with a heart for migrants, workers, the poor and the disadvantaged,” Rubén García, director of the Annunciation House hostel network, told EFE.
García, whose organization has received a legal onslaught from the Texas authorities to close it, stressed the importance of the years in which the new pope lived in Peru and assured confidently that he will be a “continuist” of the defense of migrants exercised by the late Francis during his pontificate.
Although Robert Prevost, born in Chicago in 1955, is the first American pope in history, there is no special harmony with the Trump Administration, as happened with his predecessor.
Francis was critical of the Republican president: he said that building walls is not Christian, declared that not welcoming migrants is a sin and, shortly before his death, he openly opposed Trump’s plan of mass deportations.
The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, a Catholic and the last high-ranking foreign official to meet with Francis, admitted that the late pope had “some disagreements” with the US Executive.
Leo XIV seems to follow the same line. This is indicated by the activity of Cardinal Prevost on social networks until now, because in his last message in X he shared a publication of another account that criticized the agreement of the United States with El Salvador to deport migrants to the maximum security prison of the Central American country.
The publications shared by the new pope also reflect criticism of Vance and a commitment to the poor and migrants, especially Venezuelan refugees in Peru, where he spent much of his life.
After making a mass dedicated to the new Holy Father official this Friday, the rector of the Cathedral of St. Patrick in El Paso, James Marcus McFadin, explained to EFE that Leo XIV has been “very clear” when speaking “in favor of migrants, workers, the poor and the most disadvantaged by society.”
“What I have heard since his election is that immigration is an important issue for him and that he will continue with the message and mission of Francis with immigrants,” emphasized McFadin, who declared himself surprised that an American pope has been elected, something he never imagined he would see.
“It is a unique opportunity and a very intelligent decision on the part of the cardinals to connect the Latin world with the United States,” Antonio Fernández, director of Catholic Charities in San Antonio (Texas), told EFE, who hopes that the American nationality of the new pope can serve as an interlocutor with the White House.
“He will have the ability to work to find good solutions for humanity and for migrants,” he said.
For the time being, Trump, a regular of the confrontation and who caused controversy before the conclave for publishing a recreation of himself dressed as a pope, has been restrained and institutional when celebrating the election of the new pontiff and his American roots.
“It is a great honor to know that he is the first American pope. What a thrill and what a great honor for our country! I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very significant moment!” he said.
International
Chile enters runoff campaign with Kast leading and Jara seeking a last-minute comeback
Chile’s presidential runoff campaign for the December 14 election kicked off this Sunday, with far-right candidate José Antonio Kast entering the race as the clear favorite in the polls, while left-wing contender Jeannette Jara faces an uphill scenario, hoping for a comeback that some experts describe as “a miracle.”
The final polls released in Chile—published before the mandatory blackout on survey dissemination—give Kast, an ultraconservative former lawmaker running for president for the third time, a lead of between 12 and 16 points. His opponent, the communist former minister in Gabriel Boric’s current administration, is weighed down not only by the government’s low approval ratings but also by a fragmented electorate.
Although Jeannette Jara received the most votes in the first round with 26.9%, her lack of alliances beyond the left makes it difficult for her to expand her support. Kast, who secured 23.9%, has already brought key figures on board: ultralibertarian Johannes Kaiser (13.9%) and traditional right-wing leader Evelyn Matthei (12.4%), both now backing his candidacy.
Analysts note that although Kast’s support base consolidates more than 50% of the electorate, it does not guarantee an automatic transfer of votes. Populist economist Franco Parisi, who placed third with 19.7%, emerges as the major wildcard. His party, the People’s Party (PDG), is set to decide this Sunday through an internal consultation whether to endorse one of the two finalists.
International
Trump says asylum decision freeze will remain in place “for a long time”
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the suspension of decisions on asylum applications—implemented as part of his order to “halt” immigration from third-world countries following Wednesday’s shooting in Washington—will remain in effect “for a long time.”
The president declined to specify how long the freeze, imposed last Friday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), would last. The suspension affects individuals waiting for an asylum ruling from that agency, though it does not apply to cases handled by U.S. immigration courts.
The delay is part of a series of measures enacted by the Trump Administration after a shooting on Wednesday in which an Afghan national allegedly opened fire on the National Guard in Washington, D.C., killing one officer and leaving another in critical condition.
Trump has ordered a permanent halt to immigration from 19 countries classified as “third-world.” He also indicated on Sunday that “possibly” more nations could be added to the list.
“These are countries with high crime rates. They are countries that do not function well… that are not known for success, and frankly, we don’t need people from those places coming into our country and telling us what to do,” Trump said, adding: “We don’t want those people.”
USCIS had already announced on Thursday a “rigorous review” of green cards held by migrants from 19 “countries of concern,” including Afghanistan, Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti.
International
Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military as deadly asian floods kill over 1,000
Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel on Monday to assist victims of the devastating floods that have killed more than a thousand people across Asia in recent days.
A series of weather events last week triggered prolonged torrential rains across Sri Lanka, parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra island, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said Monday in North Sumatra that “the priority now is to deliver the necessary aid as quickly as possible.”
“There are several isolated villages that, with God’s help, we will be able to reach,” he added. Subianto also stated that the government had deployed helicopters and aircraft to support relief operations.
Floods and landslides have claimed 502 lives in Indonesia, with a similar number still missing.
This marks the highest death toll from a natural disaster in Indonesia since 2018, when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed more than 2,000 people.
The government has sent three military ships carrying aid and two hospital vessels to the hardest-hit regions, where many roads remain impassable.
In the village of Sungai Nyalo, located about 100 kilometers from Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, floodwaters had receded by Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles, and crops coated in thick mud.
Chile enters runoff campaign with Kast leading and Jara seeking a last-minute comeback
Trump says asylum decision freeze will remain in place “for a long time”
Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military as deadly asian floods kill over 1,000
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