Pope Francis on Monday appointed a new cardinal with a liberal track record to head the archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Pope Francis is moving the head of San Diego’s Roman Catholic Diocese to Washington, D.C., placing a prominent ally, as well as a supporter of migrant and LGBTQ communities, in the nation’s capital as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to launch mass deportations and a rollback of transgender rights.

Pope Francis selected San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy, who once called for anti-Trump "disruptors," to lead the Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.