Trump Administration Rejects UN Migration Compact, Pursues Remigration

The Trump administration formally rejected the United Nations Global Compact on Migration and refused to participate in the International Migration Review Forum held May 5–8 at UN headquarters in New York. In a May 11 statement, the State Department accused UN agencies of facilitating what it termed replacement migration to the United States and its Western allies, claiming they systematically established migration corridors through Central America to the U.S. southern border and redistributed American resources to foreigners. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called opening doors to mass migration a grave mistake that threatens societal cohesion. The department declared that the U.S. will not support any process constraining its sovereign right to make immigration decisions in its own interests, and that its goal is not to manage migration but to foster remigration — returning migrants to their home countries.

The move echoes President Donald Trump's 2017 rejection of the Global Compact on Migration during his first term. The State Department also accused the prior Joe Biden administration of covertly collaborating with the UN to move millions of migrants into the United States, marking a sharp policy reversal. The UN, which describes the compact as non-legally binding and cooperative in nature, pushed back on the characterization. UN Secretary-General António Guterres advocated for expanding regular migration pathways and matching migrant skills with labor market needs during the forum. The U.S. boycott and rejection signal a definitive break from international migration cooperation frameworks in favor of unilateral border enforcement and remigration.