Pope Francis has condemned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's immigration policies, specifically plans for the deportation of undocumented migrants, calling them a "disgrace," CNN reports.

In an interview with Italian television, the Pope discussed Trump's executive orders on immigration, set to take effect after his inauguration.

"If this is true, it will be a disgrace. It’s not the right way," Francis stated.

For Pope Francis, advocating for immigrants has been central to his mission. This issue also carries personal significance for him; in his autobiography, he recalls the story of his grandparents and father, who planned to emigrate from Italy to Argentina in 1927. They narrowly avoided disaster by not boarding the Principessa Mafalda, a ship that later sank, and emigrated at a later time.

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich also criticized the mass deportation plans, aligning with Francis’s position. Previously, the pope had called Trump’s immigration views "un-Christian."

President-elect Trump, on the other hand, reiterated his commitment to addressing illegal immigration without delay. He stated that the "invasion through the border" would end on the day of his inauguration, January 20.

"We must put our country on the right track. By sunset Monday evening, the invasion through our borders will stop," Trump declared at a rally in Washington on the eve of his inauguration.

Trump also announced plans to release declassified materials regarding the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martin Luther King Jr.