House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing back against criticism from Pope Leo XIV over U.S. immigration enforcement, arguing that strong borders are not only lawful but rooted in scripture.

Speaking with reporters after a House vote, Johnson responded to the pope’s earlier remarks, citing Matthew 25:35 — a passage in which Jesus speaks of welcoming the stranger — to criticize former President Donald Trump’s mass-deportation agenda. Johnson, a Southern Baptist who frequently speaks about the role of faith in public life, said the biblical witness on borders is often misunderstood.

“Borders and walls are biblical,” Johnson said. “From the Old Testament to the New, God has allowed us to set up our civil societies and have separate nations.” While emphasizing that scripture calls believers to love their neighbors and care for the sojourner, Johnson argued that those commands are directed at individuals rather than governments.

“Immigration is not something that’s frowned upon in Scripture,” he said. “We’re to welcome the sojourner and love our neighbor as ourself.” At the same time, Johnson stressed that the Bible also assumes assimilation. “When someone comes into your country, comes into your nation, they do not have the right to change its laws or to change its society,” he said. “They are expected to assimilate.”

Pope Leo XIV, speaking to reporters in November, referenced Matthew 25 and urged deeper reflection on how nations receive migrants. “At the end of the world, we’re going to be asked … ‘how did you receive the foreigner?'” the pontiff said, lamenting that many long-term residents who “never caused problems” have been deeply affected by current enforcement efforts.

Johnson countered that civil authorities are given a distinct role in scripture. He pointed to what he described as years of disorder under the Biden-Harris administration, claiming that lax enforcement led to millions entering the country illegally, including dangerous criminals. “We did not take care of our borders,” he said. “Sovereign borders are biblical and good and right … not because we hate the people on the outside, but because we love the people on the inside.”

Later, Johnson expanded on his argument in a detailed post on X, insisting that Christians should support strong national borders despite criticism from progressive voices. He accused critics of citing Bible verses “out of context” to argue that opposition to open borders is unfaithful.

Johnson outlined what he called four God-ordained spheres of authority — the individual, family, church, and civil government — each with different responsibilities. He said civil government is tasked with maintaining order and enforcing laws, citing Romans 13 and 1 Timothy 2. Personal charity, he added, does not negate the biblical mandate for lawful governance.

He also cited numerous biblical passages referencing nations, borders, and walls, including Nehemiah’s rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, which Johnson described as “the noble work of God.” Justice and mercy, he argued, are not opposites but biblical companions.

“We are called to love unconditionally, serve selflessly, and defend the defenseless,” Johnson wrote. “We are also called to stand for, and work to ensure, just government.”

As the debate continues between political leaders and religious voices, Johnson’s remarks highlight a broader theological divide over how Christians should balance compassion for migrants with the role of government in enforcing immigration law — a tension playing out not just in policy, but in the interpretation of scripture itself.