WASHINGTON - The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Wednesday expressed serious concern about what it described as "derogatory and dehumanizing language" used by U.S. President Donald Trump when discussing migrants.
The committee said it was alarmed not only by the language itself but by the wider spread of negative stereotypes about migrants. It specifically warned that portraying migrants as criminals or as a burden - particularly when such characterizations are voiced by politicians and influential public figures at the highest level, including the President - may incite racial discrimination and hate crimes.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since returning to the White House last year, President Trump has pursued an assertive immigration agenda. That campaign of enforcement has coincided with an uptick in immigration arrests and detentions, according to the committee's observations. In parallel, the administration has moved to remove legal status from hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are in the United States legally.
Democrats and activists have criticized how the administration has implemented this agenda, pointing to troubling incidents during enforcement operations. The committee referenced the killing of two U.S. citizens during federal immigration operations in Minnesota earlier this year as a flashpoint for criticism.
Statistically, the committee reported that at least 675,000 people have been deported since January 2025. It said it was alarmed by reports alleging excessive use of force and violence during immigration enforcement operations.
In addition to concerns about tactics used in enforcement actions, the committee said it was gravely concerned by reports that the administration is targeting people it perceives as migrants, a pattern the committee described as increasing racial profiling.
What the committee highlighted
- Use of derogatory and dehumanizing language by top-level political figures when referring to migrants.
- Portrayals of migrants as criminals or burdens that could contribute to discrimination and hate crimes.
- Reports of heightened enforcement activity, including arrests, detentions and large-scale deportations since January 2025.
The committee framed these issues as both a human rights concern and a matter of public safety, stressing the potential for stigmatizing rhetoric and enforcement practices to inflame racial tensions and lead to violence.