The Trump administration has accused the UN of promoting “replacement immigration” policies in the US and Europe, escalating its clash with the world body over migration, border security and national sovereignty.
The US State Department said it would not support an International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) “progress” declaration, saying Washington objects to UN efforts “to advocate and facilitate replacement immigration in the US and across the broader West”.
“UN agencies systematically facilitated mass migration into America and Europe, even as citizens of these nations called for restrictions on migration,” the State Department said.
It accused UN officials of undermining the sovereignty of western governments by criticising tighter border controls and deportation policies.
“As Europe endured sustained migratory pressure, UN officials staffed all ends of the Mediterranean migration route – from the coast of Libya to the shores of the Aegean to the islands of Greece,” it said. “Then UN agencies condemned frontline states who refused to open their borders.”
“While the United Kingdom faced unprecedented illegal boat crossings, UN agencies condemned plans for deportations. UN officials lobbied aviation regulators to prevent the deportation of migrants – an appalling violation of the UK’s national sovereignty.”
Washington did not participate in the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), held from May 5 to 8 at UN headquarters in New York.
President Donald Trump withdrew the US from negotiations on the pact during his first term in 2017, arguing that migration policy should remain solely under national control.
His successor, Joe Biden, later re-engaged with some UN migration discussions, though it did not rejoin the pact.
“The United States will not legitimise global compacts that enable mass migration into America or western nations,” the State Department said. Washington’s goal is “not to manage migration, but to foster remigration”, it added.
According to the Pew Research Center, the number of immigrants living in the United States climbed to a historic high of 53.3 million in January 2025 before falling to 51.9 million by June, marking the first extended decline in over 50 years.
Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, on Tuesday called on the world body to focus on resolving conflicts that drive migration “rather than further destabilise countries and undermine their sovereignty”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned last week of the world's collective failure to manage migration.
“No country can manage migration alone,” he said. “We need co-operation – across borders, across government, across society.
“Migration is an integral part of the human story – an activity as old as humanity itself. It has helped build societies, grow economies and spur innovation across the world.”
The IMRF is the global platform for governments to review implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, a nonbinding framework adopted in 2018.
