Pope Leo urges US to welcome immigrants in America 250 speech before visiting global migrant hotspot

Pope Leo XIV urged the U.S. to uphold its history of welcoming immigrants during a virtual address at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where he received the 2026 Liberty Medal. He emphasized America's founding principles of freedom and referenced the Declaration of Independence, later traveling to Lampedusa, a European migrant hotspot, to advocate for greater acceptance of migrants.