US President Donald Trump has defended his administration’s strict immigration policies, telling world leaders that individual countries have the right to control their borders.
Speaking during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Trump argued that immigration policy should remain under the authority of sovereign states.
Trump said there was no human right to enter a country illegally and maintained that nations should have the power to decide who enters their territory and under what conditions.
The remarks placed immigration and national sovereignty at the centre of his address to the UN.
Trump has made border security a major part of his administration’s policy since returning to office in January 2025. His administration has pursued tougher enforcement measures aimed at reducing irregular migration into the United States.
The US government has described the measures as efforts to strengthen border security and restore greater control over immigration.
However, immigration remains an international issue involving different legal and humanitarian principles. While countries have authority over their borders, people seeking asylum and other forms of international protection may have rights under national and international law.
Trump also used his UN address to criticise international organisations and what he described as efforts to weaken national sovereignty.
His comments came as governments around the world continue to debate how to manage migration, border security, asylum applications and legal immigration.
The US president has repeatedly argued that governments, rather than international institutions, should determine their own immigration policies.
At the UN, he extended that argument to other countries, urging them to protect their sovereignty and maintain control over their borders.