US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered US diplomats in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and European countries to pressure their governments to limit the flow of immigrants, The New York Times reported, citing a diplomatic cable.
According to the newspaper, Rubio has urged US diplomats to highlight crimes committed by immigrants to their governments to encourage them to tighten entry restrictions. The cable said such cases were "widespread and undermine social cohesion and public safety." In addition, diplomats are required to send reports of immigrant-related crimes to State Department headquarters, along with analyses of how host governments are addressing these issues, including "policies that unfairly favor migrants at the expense of local populations." Cases of foreign governments supporting illegal or mass migration will be included in annual human rights reports, the newspaper reports, citing State Department officials.
According to one of the sources of the publication, soon to diplomatic missions in these countries will also be sent letters dedicated to solving immigration problems in Latin America and other regions.
The newspaper reports that the Trump administration accuses European governments of attempts to censor statements by far-right political parties on these topics. The State Department has instructed diplomats to describe cases of such censorship.
Trump has repeatedly advocated for a stricter immigration policy. He has already stated his intention to conduct "the largest operation to deport illegal immigrants in American history".