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Reporter
May 01, 20262:11 PM ET
Pope Leo XIV announced the new heads of several dioceses across the U.S. on Friday, including a former illegal immigrant and staunch defender of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
The line-up includes Father Robert Boxie III, who was selected as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and Bishop Evelio Menjivar, who was named bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, which includes all of West Virginia, according to a statement from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. (RELATED: DUKE: Faith Under Fire)
Menjivar, a 55-year-old native of El Salvador, previously attempted to illegally cross the U.S. border three times before he was successfully smuggled into the country in the trunk of a car in 1990, according to The Washington Post.
Menjivar then worked odd jobs before obtaining his citizenship, according to the U.S. Catholic. He was eventually chosen to be the first Salvadoran bishop in the U.S. in 2023 and an auxiliary bishop of Washington, The Washington Post reported.
NEW: Pope Leo XIV has named Salvadoran immigrant Evelio Menijar-Ayala to be West Virginia’s lone Catholic bishop.
As a teenager, he made three attempts to enter the United States illegally.
He finally arrived in California in 1990, having been smuggled in the trunk of a car… pic.twitter.com/B3nxn9xZYG
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) May 1, 2026
In an April 2025 op-ed with the Catholic Standard, Menjivar referred to the immigration policies of President Donald Trump as “disturbing actions in violation of fundamental human rights and dignity,” suggesting that the staff and government officers involved are “complicit with evil” if they do not speak out.
He also included a message for Catholics who support the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“Do you not see the suffering of your neighbors? Do you not realize the pain and misery and very real fear and anxiety these unjust government operations and policies are causing?” Menjivar asked. “Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
Christopher Hale, author of “Letters from Leo” and formerly of the Obama-Biden White House and campaign, reported that Leo’s last tweet before being elected pope was a retweet of a post that included an excerpt of Menjivar’s questions. The tweet was in the context of the relationship between President Donald Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.
Hale called Menjivar’s appointment “remarkable” because he will be leading a state that is roughly 90% white and voted for Trump by around 42 points.
NEW: Pope Leo XIV appoints the youngest bishop in the United States.
Robert Boxie III, 46, is a new auxiliary bishop of Washington.
Boxie has been outspoken against the White House’s attacks against racial diversity.
“It’s really frustrating — especially this moment that… pic.twitter.com/IXyP80IzWR
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) May 1, 2026
Boxie is one of the two new auxiliary bishops, according to the D.C. Archdiocese press release. He is a Harvard-educated lawyer raised in Louisiana who served as the chaplain at Howard University, according to his bio.
Boxie has been public with his criticisms of President Trump’s targeting of DEI.
Boxie told Catholic news agency OSV that “at its core,” America is about DEI.
“We are a diverse nation with people from all over the world. Diversity is a good thing. Diversity is of God,” he said. “And the fact that it’s been turned into something negative — or something that should be avoided or not talked about — just flies in the face of who we are as Americans.”
“So much of our history has been exclusive, especially when it comes to race. And it’s just un-American; it’s un-Christian; it’s anti-Catholic,” he added.
At a 2019 March for Life Mass, Boxie told Catholics to support refugees during his speech. (RELATED: ‘Career Criminal’ Extremist Went To Church. The FBI Used SPLC To Launch A War On Catholics)
“Marching today for these innocent hidden unborn lives because we are pro-life means that we march and stand up for every single human life inside the womb and outside the womb, and most especially for those in our communities who are poor, forgotten, marginalized and neglected,” Boxie said. “Those whose lives are devalued because of the sin of racism and discrimination of any kind; the immigrant and the refugee; those without access to basic services that allow them the chance to live and to flourish as God intended them…”
These appointments come weeks after Trump shared posts criticizing the pope and telling him to “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.” Leo responded by stating that he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and that he will stay out of the debate.
Pope Leo XIV announced the new heads of several dioceses across the U.S. on Friday, including a former illegal immigrant and staunch defender of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
The line-up includes Father Robert Boxie III, who was selected as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and Bishop Evelio Menjivar, who was named bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, which includes all of West Virginia, according to a statement from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. (RELATED: DUKE: Faith Under Fire)
Menjivar, a 55-year-old native of El Salvador, previously attempted to illegally cross the U.S. border three times before he was successfully smuggled into the country in the trunk of a car in 1990, according to The Washington Post.
Menjivar then worked odd jobs before obtaining his citizenship, according to the U.S. Catholic. He was eventually chosen to be the first Salvadoran bishop in the U.S. in 2023 and an auxiliary bishop of Washington, The Washington Post reported.
NEW: Pope Leo XIV has named Salvadoran immigrant Evelio Menijar-Ayala to be West Virginia’s lone Catholic bishop.
As a teenager, he made three attempts to enter the United States illegally.
He finally arrived in California in 1990, having been smuggled in the trunk of a car… pic.twitter.com/B3nxn9xZYG
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) May 1, 2026
He also included a message for Catholics who support the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“Do you not see the suffering of your neighbors? Do you not realize the pain and misery and very real fear and anxiety these unjust government operations and policies are causing?” Menjivar asked. “Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
Christopher Hale, author of “Letters from Leo” and formerly of the Obama-Biden White House and campaign, reported that Leo’s last tweet before being elected pope was a retweet of a post that included an excerpt of Menjivar’s questions. The tweet was in the context of the relationship between President Donald Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.
Hale called Menjivar’s appointment “remarkable” because he will be leading a state that is roughly 90% white and voted for Trump by around 42 points.
NEW: Pope Leo XIV appoints the youngest bishop in the United States.
Robert Boxie III, 46, is a new auxiliary bishop of Washington.
Boxie has been outspoken against the White House’s attacks against racial diversity.
“It’s really frustrating — especially this moment that… pic.twitter.com/IXyP80IzWR
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) May 1, 2026
Boxie is one of the two new auxiliary bishops, according to the D.C. Archdiocese press release. He is a Harvard-educated lawyer raised in Louisiana who served as the chaplain at Howard University, according to his bio.
Boxie has been public with his criticisms of President Trump’s targeting of DEI.
Boxie told Catholic news agency OSV that “at its core,” America is about DEI.
“We are a diverse nation with people from all over the world. Diversity is a good thing. Diversity is of God,” he said. “And the fact that it’s been turned into something negative — or something that should be avoided or not talked about — just flies in the face of who we are as Americans.”
“So much of our history has been exclusive, especially when it comes to race. And it’s just un-American; it’s un-Christian; it’s anti-Catholic,” he added.
At a 2019 March for Life Mass, Boxie told Catholics to support refugees during his speech. (RELATED: ‘Career Criminal’ Extremist Went To Church. The FBI Used SPLC To Launch A War On Catholics)
“Marching today for these innocent hidden unborn lives because we are pro-life means that we march and stand up for every single human life inside the womb and outside the womb, and most especially for those in our communities who are poor, forgotten, marginalized and neglected,” Boxie said. “Those whose lives are devalued because of the sin of racism and discrimination of any kind; the immigrant and the refugee; those without access to basic services that allow them the chance to live and to flourish as God intended them…”
These appointments come weeks after Trump shared posts criticizing the pope and telling him to “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.” Leo responded by stating that he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and that he will stay out of the debate.
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