Vice President JD Vance admitted that he should have worded his criticism of U.S. Catholic bishops "more carefully" after claiming they may have been worried about their "bottom line" from helping illegal immigrants last year.

Last year, Vance, who is Catholic, responded to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) after the organization condemned the Trump administration's policies regarding immigration raids. In his comments, he suggested the USCCB was more concerned over its "bottom line" from losing funding rather than helping refugees.

"I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns?" Vance asked on CBS News' "Face the Nation" in a January 2025 interview. "Or are they actually worried about their bottom line? We're going to enforce immigration law. We're going to protect the American people."

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Last month, more than a year after Vance's comments, retired Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop emeritus of New York, said in an interview with EWTN News that Vance has since "apologized" for his comments, saying they were "out of line."

Though Vance did not clarify whether he apologized to Dolan, he acknowledged that he likely spoke "too harshly" on the subject of immigration when asked on Wednesday.

"I’m not saying he’s lying, but I mean, look, sometimes I say things too harshly. I say things too directly," Vance said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Vance added that he "could have made that comment more carefully without going too hard at" church leadership.

"I’m sure that I said something like that," Vance added, "but I don’t remember exactly what I said."

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He recalled telling Dolan to "be careful your financial interests and the immigration issue don’t actually cloud your judgment," though he explained the last time he spoke with Dolan "in detail" was six months ago.

Fox News Digital reached out to the USCCB and the Archdiocese of New York for comment.

In the interview, Vance also remarked that there will inevitably be "conflict between the government and the clergy" but that he hopes to come toward it with a "spirit of charity."

"I also recognize that, you know, I have a different job, and my job is to make sure that the American people are as safe and prosperous as they can be," Vance said. "And sometimes that means that possibly very good people that the Catholic Church are ministering to, I have to say, ‘has that person come into our country legally?’ And if not, should we try to do something to change that?'"

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Vance met with top Vatican officials regarding their concerns over migrants and deportations last year.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., invited an illegal immigrant guest to this year’s State of the Union address who's referenced in two police reports that Massachusetts authorities have declined to release, citing exemptions involving "sexual assault and juveniles," according to a report.

The Boston Herald reported that the Milford Police Department (MPD) denied a public records request for two 2021 reports that allegedly reference Marcelo Gomes da Silva, whom Moulton invited to attend President Donald Trump’s speech on Feb. 24.

According to the Herald, the newspaper sought reports dated June 30, 2021, and Sept. 15, 2021. MPD Deputy Chief John Sanchioni denied the request, writing, "The records you are requesting are not public records in accordance with M.G.L. c. 4 s. 7 cl. 26 (A)."

He also wrote that one report "involves a sexual assault and juveniles" and that the other "involves juveniles," citing Massachusetts public records law.

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Sanchioni did not elaborate on the nature of the reports and did not indicate that Gomes da Silva had been charged with any crime. The Herald reported that Gomes da Silva was identified as a "person of interest" in the records it sought.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Sanchioni and Moulton’s office for comment on the matter.

Gomes da Silva, 19, has denied any wrongdoing and said he was unaware of the reports until contacted by the media.

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"I want to be clear: I have never assaulted anyone. I have never been contacted by the police about any accusations of assault," Gomes da Silva told the Herald through his lawyer. "I only learned about these reports that allegedly include my name in them through the media. I have never seen these alleged reports. My attorney has since requested these alleged reports and was denied."

A spokesperson for Moulton also reportedly told the Herald that, according to their review, Gomes da Silva has never been charged with a crime.

Gomes da Silva drew national attention earlier this year after Moulton invited him to attend Trump's State of the Union address as his guest.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Gomes da Silva in May 2025, while he was driving his father’s car. Agents were reportedly seeking his father at the time.

Gomes da Silva’s student visa had lapsed, and then-Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News at the time that the "facts [of his case] haven’t changed."

"[He] is still an illegal alien and subject to removal proceedings. The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country," McLaughlin said.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also criticized Gomes da Silva’s invitation to the State of the Union.

"[Gomes da Silva] is an illegal alien who has no right to be in our nation. We are committed to enforcing the law and fighting for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens like him," DHS posted on X.

Moulton’s office pushed back at the time, saying, "Marcelo has been in the U.S. since he was 6 years old. Zero criminal record. You're not making anyone safer by targeting him. You're just proving how far you'll go to terrorize young people trying to build a future in this country."

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When Moulton announced he was inviting Gomes da Silva as his guest, he said he was doing so because his story "captures what’s broken in our immigration system right now."

"The outpouring of support that Marcelo received following his detainment wasn’t an accident. It happened because people know the kind of person that Marcelo is," Moulton continued. "He is exactly the kind of young person America should be investing in, not locking up. If we want to call ourselves a nation of opportunity, we should start by uplifting young people like Marcelo."

Gomes da Silva also responded at the time, saying the invitation to attend the State of the Union was "deeply meaningful."

"I’m proud to represent the strength, faith, and hard work of my community," he said. "Thank you to Seth for this invite."

The Boston Herald reported that it is appealing the police department’s denial of its records request, arguing that Gomes da Silva’s background has become part of a broader public debate over immigration enforcement following his appearance at the State of the Union.