(Washington, D.C.) The Trump administration reportedly instructed diplomats abroad last week to lobby host governments to express concern about pro-immigrant policies and violent crimes against immigrant communities.
Reuters reported that the U.S. State Department sent cables to dozens of embassies in Europe, Canada, and Australia on Friday (November 21). The cables stated that crimes and human rights abuses related to mass migration are a major concern for European and Western countries, threatening public safety and social cohesion worldwide.
The cables instructed U.S. missions abroad to report such crimes and human rights abuses to Washington and analyze host country responses, while also calling on governments to reform immigration policies and restrict any programs that could facilitate mass migration.
When asked about the reports, a State Department spokesperson said that mass migration is a human rights issue and often leads to increased violent crime rates. However, the spokesperson did not provide any data to support this claim.
The cables also quoted Trump as saying that a country without borders is not a country. The cables urged governments to resist actions that favor immigrant groups at the expense of local communities.
Further Reading
Anti-immigration was a major theme of Trump's presidential campaign. After taking office, he implemented a hardline approach to law enforcement, deployed additional troops to the southern border, and pledged to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump has repeatedly accused illegal immigrants of fueling violent crime; however, research shows that immigrants are not more likely to commit crimes than American citizens. In addition to domestic efforts, in September of this year, senior Trump administration officials urged other countries to join a global movement to reduce asylum for refugees.
