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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Bishop Barron blasts Catholic left for ‘demonization’ of Trump amid child trafficking crisis
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EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Robert Barron said he has been urging Catholics on the left to stop the «demonization» of the Trump administration, even when it comes to highly contentious issues such as immigration and border security.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Barron, arguably the most prominent Catholic prelate in America, said that despite criticism within the church of the administration’s immigration policy, «there are darn good reasons, moral reasons, for being concerned about an open border.»
«I don’t think it’s fair to say to a conservative, to a Republican, you’re just being difficult and anti-humanitarian,» he said, adding that «at times, the Catholic left is great for calling for dialogue and bridge-building — until it comes to conservatives.»
He said that for many Catholics on the left, «when it comes to conservatives, just tell them what they should be doing and saying.»
«No, no, let’s build bridges of conversation. That’s a role the Church can play,» he said. «What I don’t want from the church is a kind of demonization of the Trump administration.»
PROMINENT CATHOLIC BISHOP SLAMS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED MN CHURCH SERVICE: ‘UNACCEPTABLE’
Bishop Robert Barron said the reality of human trafficking of children and «the disappearance of children we’ve lost track of completely in this process» are «moral reasons» for stricter border security. (Texas DPS; Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«If there are points of disagreement, whether it’s immigration or it’s the [Iran] war or whatever, let’s talk about it, let’s talk.»
Barron said he has been trying to encourage dialogue on both the immigration and Iran issues. Though he admitted he has «not always met with success, frankly, from the ecclesial side.»
Despite this, Barron said he «would like those conversations to continue.»
The bishop revealed he was deeply moved by a passionate appeal for stricter border security from border czar Tom Homan during a recent White House call. He said he was participating in it as part of his work on President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.
Barron said Homan, who he noted is a Catholic, «spoke with great passion… and he said he’s come out of retirement twice to engage this issue.»
«Why? He said that because he’s seen the terrible destruction caused by an open border. And he was talking about, especially human trafficking, the human trafficking of children, the disappearance of children we’ve lost track of completely in this process.»
POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS
White House border czar Tom Homan holds a press conference along the border wall between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, on Dec. 13, 2025, to announce increased security on the southwest border. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
«He was saying, we can’t simply fall for the simplistic view that an open border is humanitarian, that an open border is kind to the stranger… an open border also produces enormous moral problems,» said Barron.
«You could tell that it was affecting him very deeply, very personally,» he said. «I found that very moving.»
«It’s not just, well, the bad guy, Republicans, who want to enforce immigration laws. It’s Republicans for very good moral reasons who want to enforce immigration law,» he said.
At the same time, Barron emphasized that there are «values on both sides» of the debate.
He said that even through Trump’s feud with Pope Leo XIV, he has encouraged real dialogue and conversation between the Vatican and Washington. He said he has met with «a lot of Catholics inside the Trump administration who are interested in bringing the church’s teaching to bear.»
EXCLUSIVE: CATHOLIC BISHOPS CHIDED FOR SOWING ‘CONFUSION’ ON DEPORTATION STANCE
Pope Leo XIV met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Vatican City; Rubio has been lauded by President Donald Trump as someone who is able to bridge gaps in diplomatic relations unlike any other. (Vatican Media/Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
He posited that «part of the problem in the Trump-pope battle was that the president was treating the pope too much as a politician.»
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«Popes, I think, are supposed to use the moral structure of the church’s teaching to move prudential judgment in the right direction,» he explained. «Now what’s a president’s responsibility? His responsibility is to make those prudential judgments.«
«Now here’s what I recommend: I think the leading Catholics inside the Trump administration, I mean people like JD Vance, like Marco Rubio, like Brian Burch, the [Vatican] ambassador, should sit down with their counterparts in the Vatican and they should have a real conversation about this.
«The church provides a moral framework. Terrific. Now, let’s have a real conversation with those whose job it is to make that decision but have it conditioned by this moral framework, that would be more fruitful.»
immigration, roman catholic, border security, tom homan, donald trump, pope leo xiv, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Italia: insólita guerra de guerrillas por las obras de un tren de alta velocidad en Turín
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The race to become America’s next economic heavyweight may already have a frontrunner.
The latest Internal Revenue Service (IRS) migration data show billions of dollars in taxpayer wealth flowing into Texas, while Census figures show the state’s largest metropolitan areas continue to outpace much of the country in population growth, strengthening a decades-long shift in America’s economic center of gravity.
What’s more, Texas isn’t relying on a single boomtown. Dallas-Fort Worth added more residents than any metropolitan area in the country over the past year, while Houston, Austin and San Antonio also ranked among the nation’s fastest-growing metros.
That unusual breadth gives Texas multiple engines of economic growth, providing businesses with larger labor pools, diversified industries and a broader customer base than states anchored by a single dominant city.
Critics have argued that Texas’ economic success is mostly a numbers game. But the latest federal data suggest there’s more to it. (Mike Lawrie/WireImage/GettyImages)
BILLIONS IN TAXPAYER INCOME ARE LEAVING TWO ICONIC STATES — AS A NEW ECONOMIC MAP EMERGES
The population boom has been accompanied by an influx of wealth. IRS migration data analyzed by the Tax Foundation show the Lone Star State gained more than $5 billion in adjusted gross income from interstate movers, while California and New York recorded multibillion-dollar losses.
«Capital follows where there is confidence,» Texas Association of Business Chief Policy Officer Gabriela von zur Muehlen previously told Fox News Digital. «And right now there is a tremendous amount of confidence in Texas.»
Von zur Muehlen said Texas’ tax structure and predictable regulatory environment continue to attract businesses and investment from other states, helping reinforce the state’s economic momentum.
While Florida attracted the nation’s largest influx of taxpayer wealth and South Carolina posted the strongest inbound migration rate, Texas stood out by combining billions in new taxable income with rapid growth across Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
Economists say that combination matters because higher-income households bring spending, investment, entrepreneurship and tax revenue that can accelerate job creation, fuel commercial development and attract even more businesses. Over time, those forces can transform fast-growing metros into some of the nation’s most influential economic hubs.
ONE SOUTHERN CITY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IS GROWING FASTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN AMERICA
Unlike simple population counts, adjusted gross income offers a glimpse into the economic resources newcomers bring with them. Higher-income households can contribute disproportionately to consumer spending, investment and local tax collections, making income migration an important measure of a region’s long-term economic strength.
The migration data are only part of the story.
Earlier federal estimates showed Texas wasn’t just adding residents — it was becoming wealthier on a per-person basis. Despite adding roughly 419,000 residents in 2025, more than any other state, Texas’ economic output climbed to about $2.9 trillion, while per-capita GDP continued to rise, suggesting the state’s economy was becoming more productive rather than simply larger.
THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND
As businesses leave high-cost states, Texas has become the undisputed top destination. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News/Getty Images)
Business leaders say those trends are creating a self-reinforcing cycle. As more workers and higher-income households relocate to Texas, companies gain access to a larger labor pool and customer base, encouraging additional hiring, investment and expansion. That growth, in turn, creates more jobs and opportunities that can attract even more residents.
The migration has coincided with years of corporate relocations and business investment across the state, particularly in technology, finance, manufacturing and energy. The influx has also fueled new housing developments, logistics hubs, manufacturing projects and expanding commercial corridors across many of Texas’ fastest-growing metropolitan areas.
Supporters of Texas’ economic model argue its lack of a state income tax, relatively affordable cost of living and business-friendly climate continue attracting both employers and workers, reinforcing the state’s long-term growth.
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California and New York remain among the nation’s largest and most influential economies.
But the latest Census, IRS and federal economic data suggest Texas continues gaining ground by attracting people, taxpayer wealth and economic output simultaneously, an uncommon combination that could reshape where businesses invest, jobs are created, and economic influence grows over the coming decade.
texas, economy, growth, politics, taxes, demographics
INTERNACIONAL
Incendios en el sur de Europa: hay más de 330.000 personas evacuadas en España, Italia y Francia
España comenzó este domingo a contener los grandes incendios que afectan al centro del país, mientras Francia mantiene su principal preocupación en el fuego de la Gironda, que sigue fuera de control y amenaza con agravarse por la llegada de una nueva ola de calor.
Los fuegos arrasaron 77.000 hectáreas en España y otras 42.000 en el departamento francés de la Gironda. En conjunto, los incendios obligaron a evacuar o desalojar a cerca de 330.000 personas entre ambos países.
Mientras tanto, más de 400 personas fueron evacuadas por mar en el sur de Italia y otras más serán transportadas próximamente a causa de un incendio forestal en la costa adriática, informó la guardia costera.
“Más de 400 turistas y bañistas han sido evacuados por mar, la única ruta de evacuación viable”, informó la institución en su canal de WhatsApp.
Los evacuados fueron rescatados de la zona cercana a la ciudad de Peschici, en la región de Puglia.
Qué está pasando en España
En España, más de 100.000 personas se vieron afectadas por las llamas entre evacuados, desalojados y confinados, mientras que en Francia el incendio de la Gironda mantiene evacuadas a 220.000 personas, que no podrán regresar a sus hogares hasta que el fuego quede completamente perimetrado.
La evolución de los incendios españoles fue favorable tras varios días de intensa propagación de las llamas. Las llamas amenazan a San Martin de Valdeiglesias,en Avila (Foto: REUTERS/Ana Beltran)
El incendio de Ávila, con unas 50.000 hectáreas calcinadas, se convertió en el mayor registrado en el país desde que existen registros, mientras que otras 25.000 hectáreas corresponden a la Comunidad de Madrid y unas 2000 a la provincia de Toledo.
Pese a esa mejoría, las autoridades mantienen que aún quedan focos activos y no descartan nuevas evacuaciones, especialmente en el oeste de la Comunidad de Madrid, mientras el operativo continúa centrado en estabilizar los incendios y evitar reactivaciones.
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En las labores de extinción trabajan miles de efectivos, apoyados por la Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME), cuyo jefe, Javier Marcos Arribas, señaló que quedan pocas cabezas activas, aunque los equipos siguen actuando sobre un perímetro de unos 280 kilómetros.
El Gobierno mantiene el nivel de emergencia nacional en los incendios del centro del país y reforzó el dispositivo con seis aviones de extinción enviados por Grecia, Italia y Turquía, además de un contingente portugués integrado por 129 efectivos y 41 vehículos.
El presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, anunció además que el próximo martes declarará zonas gravemente afectadas por una emergencia de protección civil los territorios castigados por las llamas.
Sánchez recordó también que los incendios calcinaron unas 150.000 hectáreas en España desde comienzos de año.
La campaña dejó episodios especialmente graves, como el de Almería, donde murieron 13 personas y ardieron 7000 hectáreas, o el de la Sierra Norte de Guadalajara, donde el fuego devoró 32.000 hectáreas en el segundo mayor incendio registrado en el país desde que existen datos.
Francia mantiene la alerta por la Gironda
En Francia, el incendio originado el miércoles en la bahía de Arcachón, en el departamento de la Gironda, continúa siendo el principal foco de preocupación tras arrasar 42.000 hectáreas y obligar a evacuar a 220.000 personas.
Las autoridades descartaron por ahora el regreso de los vecinos y advirtieron que la llegada de temperaturas próximas a los 40 grados a partir del martes podría complicar aún más las labores de extinción.
Ante esta situación, el presidente Emmanuel Macron presidirá este lunes una célula de crisis interministerial para coordinar la respuesta al mayor episodio de incendios registrado este año en el país. Bomberos combaten las llamas en el área de Gironda, en Francia (Foto: REUTERS/Stephane Mahe)
Uno de los factores que más preocupa a los servicios de emergencia es la aparición de pirocumulonimbos, un fenómeno que genera tormentas de fuego impredecibles y que, según las autoridades, nunca antes se había observado en Francia.
En la Gironda trabajan unos 2500 bomberos, 1500 militares y 1200 policías y gendarmes, apoyados por 18 aeronaves y un avión militar A400M adaptado para combatir incendios.
Leé también: El gobierno de Brasil llamó a consultas a su embajador en la Argentina por los dichos de Milei contra Lula
El balance provisional asciende a 75 bomberos heridos y unas 240 viviendas destruidas.
El incendio mantiene además importantes alteraciones en las comunicaciones, con cierres parciales de la autopista A63, que conecta Burdeos con España, e interrupciones del tráfico ferroviario, mientras las autoridades distribuyeron mascarillas por la elevada concentración de partículas de humo.
Francia mantiene también activos otros grandes incendios en Las Landas (igualmente en el sudoeste), donde la situación mejora progresivamente, y en el departamento de Var, además de otros focos en los de Córcega y Altos Alpes.
(Con información de EFE y AFP)
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