Trump withdraws US from UN Global Forum on Migration and Refugees
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FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday withdrawing the United States from the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), officially removing the country from an international body linked to the United Nations Global Compact for Migration.
The move ends U.S. participation in a forum that critics have long argued promotes mass migration and undermines national sovereignty by advancing the concept of an international “right” to migrate.
The Global Forum on Migration and Development played a key role in developing the United Nations Global Compact for Migration, a non-binding framework that aims to expand international cooperation on migration policy and migrant rights. The Trump administration has opposed the pact, arguing that it erodes the ability of sovereign countries to enforce their own immigration laws and border controls.
“For too long, international organizations have fueled an endless flow of mass migration and sought to coerce Americans into accepting the same destructive agenda,” senior deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement. “Under President Trump, the era of mass migration is over.”
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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), officially removing the country from an international body linked to the United Nations Global Compact for Migration. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Pigott said the administration would not support organizations that “cover up illegal immigration or attempt to erode American sovereignty,” adding that the GFMD was one of the leading international bodies promoting the idea of an international right to migration.
The Biden administration previously supported the Global Compact on Migration and maintained the United States’ commitment to the GFMD, a stance that Trump officials now describe as a radical departure from the former president’s border control agenda.
The GFMD has been criticized by immigration hawks for its opposition to what it calls the “criminalization of migration” and for its partnership with advocacy groups that condemn large-scale deportations. The organization has also organized events warning against the “normalization of rapid mass deportations” and against narratives portraying migrants as criminals.
The move ends U.S. participation in a forum that critics have long argued promotes mass migration and undermines national sovereignty by advancing the concept of an international “right” to migrate. (Isabel Mateos/Associated Press)
The Global Forum on Migration and Development played a key role in developing the United Nations Global Compact for Migration, a non-binding framework that aims to expand international cooperation on migration policy and migrant rights. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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In a 2020 document aimed at shaping public opinion, the GFMD urged governments and media to abandon terms such as “illegal migrant”, arguing that such language fuels polarization. The group acknowledged receiving input from left-wing billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundation as part of its work on migration messaging.
The organization has also encouraged migrant remittances home as a positive global economic force — a practice that critics say drains hundreds of billions of dollars from the U.S. economy each year.
Administration officials say the withdrawal underscores Trump’s broader efforts to reassert U.S. control over immigration policy and reject what they see as globalist pressure campaigns aimed at normalizing mass migration.
“The United States will not hesitate to assert sovereign control over its border, protect true God-given natural rights, and end wasteful globalist spending,” Pigott said.
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During his first term, Trump withdrew or refused to join several U.N.-backed frameworks, arguing they conflicted with domestic law and U.S. sovereignty, including the Paris climate accord.
The administration has frequently cited Europe’s migrant crisis as a warning, arguing that permissive migration policies have fueled social unrest, overwhelmed public services and weakened domestic security across the continent.
