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Catholic Theologian Joins Trump’s Department of Homeland Security Amid Controversy
Confirmed
In Short: A prominent Catholic theologian who has defended the Trump administration’s immigration policies has taken a job with the Department of Homeland Security, prompting reactions from the Catholic Church.
Prominent Catholic theologian Chad Pecknold has joined the Department of Homeland Security, the agency confirmed. Pecknold, who has previously defended the administration's immigration policies on theological grounds, is now the principal director of public outreach for the department’s Office of Public Engagement.
In a statement, Pecknold expressed excitement about his new role, stating, 'Catholics who are well-formed by the laws of the heavenly city must pray and work for the peace of our very troubled country — for even the nations are restless until they rest in God. Catholics have a duty to intercede, to cure, and to govern.
The Department of Homeland Security, established in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks, is responsible for protecting the United States against terrorist attacks and other threats. The Catholic theologian’s appointment comes amid ongoing clashes between the U.S. government and the Catholic Church over immigration policies.
In response to Pecknold’s appointment, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a joint statement in November 2025, expressing opposition to 'the indiscriminate mass deportation of people' and calling for an end to 'dehumanizing rhetoric and violence' against both immigrants and law enforcement.
What's confirmed
- A prominent Catholic theologian who has previously defended the Trump administration’s immigration policies on theological grounds has joined the Department of Homeland Security, the agency confirmed.
- According to Pecknold’s LinkedIn page, he is “on leave for public service” from Catholic University.
- On the issue of immigration, Pecknold has consistently argued that defending the country’s borders is not in contradiction with Catholic teaching.
- And in April 2024, amid Catholic criticism of a Texas state law that gave local authorities authorization to make immigration-related arrests, Pecknold cited St. Thomas Aquinas’ theology as a basis for immigration restrictions, noting that Aquinas distinguished showing hospitality to wayfarers from offering permanent resettlement.
- Chad Pecknold, a longtime professor at The Catholic University of America, has begun working for the government agency that oversees immigration enforcement.
- Chad Pecknold, who has taught theology at The Catholic University of America (Catholic University) since 2008, is now the principal director of public outreach for the department’s Office of Public Engagement.
- The Department of Homeland Security was established in 2003 in response to the Sept.
- 11, 2001, attacks and is responsible for protecting the United States against terrorist attacks and other threats to its security.
What's still developing
- In a statement provided to the National Catholic Register, the sister news partner of EWTN News, Pecknold said he was “excited” to confirm he had taken the position.
- In a roundtable published in the Register in 2023, Pecknold argued that Catholics have a duty to engage in politics.