Trump pulls US out of UN-linked migration forum in bold immigration move
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday withdrawing the United States from the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), formally pulling the country out of an international body tied to the United Nations’ Global Compact for Migration.
The move ends U.S. participation in a forum 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 shaping the U.N.’s Global Compact for Migration, a nonbinding framework that seeks to expand international cooperation on migration policy and migrant rights. The Trump administration has opposed the compact, arguing it erodes the ability of sovereign nations to enforce their own immigration laws and border controls.
"For too long, international organizations have fueled an endless flow of mass migration and have sought to compel Americans to accept the same destructive agenda," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. "Under President Trump, the era of mass migration is over."
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Pigott said the administration will not support organizations that "run cover for illegal immigration or attempt to erode America’s sovereignty," adding that the GFMD was among the leading international bodies promoting the idea of an international right to migration.
The Biden administration previously supported the Global Compact for Migration and maintained U.S. engagement with the GFMD, a position Trump officials now describe as a sharp departure from the former president’s border enforcement agenda.
The GFMD has drawn criticism from immigration hawks for opposing what it calls the "criminalization of migration" and for partnering with advocacy groups that condemn large-scale deportations. The organization also has hosted events warning against the "normalization of rapid mass deportations" and narratives that portray migrants as criminals.
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In a 2020 document aimed at shaping public opinion, the GFMD urged governments and media to move away from terms such as "illegal migrant," arguing that such language fuels polarization. The group has acknowledged receiving input from left-wing billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundation as part of its work on migration messaging.
The organization has also promoted remittances sent by migrants to their home countries as a positive global economic force — a practice critics say drains hundreds of billions of dollars from the U.S. economy annually.
Administration officials say the withdrawal underscores Trump’s broader effort to reassert U.S. control over immigration policy and reject what they view as globalist pressure campaigns aimed at normalizing mass migration.
"The United States will not hesitate to assert sovereign control of its border, protect the true God-given natural rights, and end wasteful globalist spending," Pigott said.
During his first term, Trump withdrew from or declined to join several U.N.-backed frameworks, arguing they conflicted with domestic law and U.S. sovereignty, including the Paris climate agreement.
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 internal security across the continent.