(NewsNation) — Pope Leo XIV told reporters that “deep reflection” is necessary amid the treatment of migrants in the United States.

The pontiff responded to a question from local media on migrants detained at an ICE facility near Chicago being refused the opportunity to receive Holy Communion.

Leo first stated that “the role of the Church is to preach the gospel” before citing the gospel of Matthew, chapter 25.

“Jesus says very clearly at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, you know, how did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not? And I think that there’s a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what’s happening,” he said.

“Many people who’ve lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now,” the pontiff added.

Pope Leo, who is a Chicago native, made specific mention of the spiritual needs of those even in detention.

“I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people,” Leo said.

“Many times, they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time; no one knows what’s happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”

The pontiff has been previously critical, as have other influential members of the Catholic Church, of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.