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UN Regrets US Pulling Out of Migrant and Refugee Pact

by Margaret Besheer

   UNITED NATIONS --

   The United Nations says it regrets the Trump administration's decision
   to pull out of the Global Compact on Migration, but adds that there is
   still time for the United States to re-engage in the process.

   "This should not disrupt the clear, unanimous outcome of the New York
   Declaration for such a global compact -- which will be non-legally
   binding, grounded in international cooperation and respectful of
   national interests," U.N. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday.
   U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that the
   compact is not consistent with American immigration policies.
   "While we will continue to engage on a number of fronts at the United
   Nations, in this case, we simply cannot in good faith support a process
   that could undermine the sovereign right of the United States to
   enforce our immigration laws and secure our borders," Tillerson said.

   He said the United States supports international cooperation on
   migration issues, "but it is the primary responsibility of sovereign
   states to help ensure that migration is safe, orderly, and legal."
   Compact
   The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants was adopted on the
   margins of the U.N. General Assembly's annual leaders gathering in
   September 2016. It is the beginning of a process to draft a
   multilateral agreement that covers all aspects of safe, orderly and
   regular migration.
   The U.S. announcement came just before the start Monday of a global
   conference on migration in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The meeting
   participants will discuss their recommendations and shape their vision
   for the global compact.
   "We look forward to the outcome of Mexico and the start of formal
   negotiations in February," the U.N.'s Dujarric said.
   The U.N. estimates that there are about 244 million migrants in the
   world -- or just over three percent of the world's population. The U.N.
   considers a migrant to be anyone who changes their country, regardless
   of the reason.

   The U.S. mission to the U.N. said in a statement Saturday that the
   declaration "contains numerous provisions that are inconsistent with
   U.S. immigration and refugee policies and the Trump Administration's
   immigration principles."
   Divided administration
   Foreign Policy magazine reported that President Donald Trump's decision
   to pull out of the negotiations "highlighted the enduring influence of
   Stephen Miller, the 32-year-old senior White House policy advisor who
   has championed the Trump administration's efforts to sharply restrict
   immigration" to the United States.
   The magazine said White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Attorney
   General Jeff Sessions "strongly backed a pullout," while U.S.
   Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley opposed it.

   Haley reportedly took the position that Washington could influence the
   global negotiations on migration if it participated in the Mexico
   meeting, but she was "ultimately overruled by the president."
   Haley, herself the daughter of Indian immigrants, issued a statement
   Saturday saying, "America is proud of our immigrant heritage and our
   long-standing moral leadership in providing support to migrant and
   refugee populations across the globe. . . But our decisions on
   immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans
   alone."
   She said, "We will decide how best to control our borders and who will
   be allowed to enter our country. The global approach in the New York
   Declaration is simply not compatible with U.S. sovereignty."