Amid Donald Trump’s administration facing a crisis with the US-Israel strikes against Iran, his immigration laws and policies simultaneously came under the bitter spotlight of the United Nations.
With ICE identifying and detaining people suspected of living in the country without legal permission, the UN has revealed how ICE’s policies and enforcement actions have caused fear among immigrant communities.
This eventually led the ICE and the Trump administration to face strong criticism from the United Nations. In a press release published on the official UN site, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination accused President Donald Trump of serious human rights violations.
UN anti-racism committee warns that divisive rhetoric by US President Donald Trump and harsh immigration enforcement are fuelling discrimination, profiling and human rights violationshttps://t.co/WQt4C6UOg9
— TRT World (@trtworld) March 11, 2026
The committee claimed to be “deeply disturbed by the growing use of derogatory and dehumanizing language, and the dissemination of negative and harmful stereotypes targeting migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.”
“It underscored that the systematic use of racial profiling and arbitrary identity checks by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) against people of Hispanic/Latino, African, or Asian origin has resulted in widespread arrests of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and people perceived as such.”
“The Committee also raised alarm that the lives and physical integrity of the above vulnerable groups are jeopardized by the excessive use of force and violence by enforcement officers during immigration operations,” the committee continued.
The statement noted that at least eight people have died since January 2026 during ICE operations or while in ICE custody, including protesters exercising their right to peaceful assembly and detained refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants.
Based on these findings and concerns, the UN panel urged the United States government to review its immigration policies. The panel also recommended “suspending immigration enforcement operations, such as identity checks and arrests, in and around schools, hospitals, and faith-based institutions.”
Meanwhile, the criticism was quickly addressed by White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales, who rejected the UN report, saying it was influenced by political bias and should not be taken seriously.
Speaking with Axios, Wales defended the government’s immigration and security policies and mentioned how those policies are making the country safer and reducing crime rates across the United States.
America is safer under President Trump.
“Murder rates are tumbling across US. Homicides down 20% over last year and we could be on course for lowest number on record.” Politico pic.twitter.com/92PAHHwfiU
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) June 4, 2025
“President Trump is delivering on his promise to make our country safe again: the murder rate has plummeted to a 125-year low, with last year marking the biggest one-year drop in recorded history, crime categories are dropping across the board, and we have the most secure border in history,” Wales said.
The United Nations and the United States remain at odds over U.S. immigration enforcement policy. And despite the White House staff’s comments, there has been growing international scrutiny surrounding Trump’s immigration enforcement.
