When Walls Are Built: Trump’s Immigration Policies as a Threat to Global Security - CAFA From the Source

Refugees stranded with the sudden freeze of entry into the U.S., Photo courtesy of Matthias Berg.

In the first four months of his administration, President Donald Trump has implemented aggressive policies aimed at blocking refugee resettlement and harshly detaining and deporting immigrants and asylum seekers. These actions reflect a broader pattern of exclusionary tactics that not only jeopardize the safety and well-being of vulnerable populations but also threaten global security. By exacerbating human suffering, insecurity, and displacement, Trump’s immigration policies amplify instability across the globe. More specifically, by equating refugee resettlement with national security threats, Trump’s exclusionary policies undermine international commitments, erode global cooperation, and contribute to long-term instability both within the U.S. and in fragile regions abroad, further fueling displacement and weakening global responses to humanitarian crises.

One of Trump’s early refugee policy changes was an indefinite 90-day pause of refugee resettlement, a pause that is still in effect despite court-ordered reversals. Under the policy, asylum seekers are required to wait in their host countries while their applications are being processed, while approved refugees have had their flights canceled. The impact of this policy has been felt most strongly by those fleeing from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria, and Venezuela. Further, picking on some of the world’s most vulnerable political climates  is partially intentional: the administration has explicitly stated that they have “suspended refugee resettlement from the world’s most dangerous and terror-afflicted regions.” This kind of language perhaps harnesses the extreme development of xenophobic rhetoric within America, largely a consequence of the War on Terror and the modern fear of terrorism. 

Trump’s policies have contributed to the fall of the U.S. from its position as the world leader of refugee resettlement, with admission trends declining by about 30% in the past 40 years. Upon taking office, Trump rescinded 78 “harmful” executive orders from the Biden administration, at least five of which were directly related to immigration. This repeal process was based on claims that immigration threatens jobs and national security as a way to justify strict exclusionary policies that bar migrants from economic and physical security. Reduced visa approvals from affected nations create instability by separating families and disrupting job opportunities. Rather than addressing the root causes of migration, this policy intensified ongoing social and political crises in destabilized regions and ultimately undermined both human security and state security worldwide.

One of the most concerning examples of Trump’s actions creating global instability is the deportation of migrants to the Guantanamo Bay high-security detention center, which is notoriously brutal and used to detain convicted terrorists or enemies of the US. This decision appears to be a political propaganda move to further his immigration agenda, signaling to the American public that we should approach immigration through the same anti-terrorist approaches as the War on Terror. Trump has said the facility will be used to “detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” therefore using Guantanamo Bay to further an exclusionary perception of migrants being a threat to national security, while also evading long-standing international commitments to refugee rights. This signals to allies that the U.S. is willing to bypass international legal norms, particularly those outlined in the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which prohibit the return of individuals to countries where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. By disregarding these obligations, the U.S. undermines multilateral cooperation on refugee resettlement and weakens global responses to both displacement and security threats.

National security interests, such as global stability and relationships with foreign nations, are heavily dependent on humanitarian and geopolitical factors tied to the safety, displacement, and resettlement of refugees in exile. As refugees face increasing physical and economic insecurity, their inability to find safety or resettlement opportunities results in displacement, creating new pressures on already fragile states. 

For instance, the contrasting responses of Germany and Hungary to the Syrian refugee crisis following the outbreak of the 2011 civil war illustrate how national policy choices can either foster cohesion or fuel instability. Germany, which accepted over a million refugees, was able to integrate many individuals into their society through comprehensive support programs. Hungary, which implemented restrictive policies, faced heightened social tensions and growing far-right extremism. The Hungarian government's hardline stance on immigration was accompanied by fear-based political messaging that portrayed refugees as threats, which exacerbated public anxiety and created fertile ground for nationalist and extremist movements to gain traction. These failed or minimal resettlement efforts strained the host country’s political and social fabric, which led to increased instability across Europe. The ripple effects of international instability caused by Hungary’s strict migration policies are echoed today in U.S. behavior, which similarly strains its relationship with Canada through exclusionary immigration measures. Because of Trump’s rapid all-out attack against asylum seekers, Canada has become an alternative country to which many migrants have fled. This influx of asylum seekers has put a strain on Canada's immigration system, particularly its ability to process and resettle a large number of refugees quickly. Globally, this shift disrupts coordinated refugee protection efforts, increasing pressure on other nations and weakening collective responses to humanitarian crises. 

In addition to the fact that refugee security is linked to global and national security, Trump has claimed that his new policies are intended to protect the American people. While this claim implies that refugees are potentially dangerous, they are the most vigorously vetted migrants. National security officials have testified to the fact that they actually bolster the stability of the U.S. by creating strong foreign relations. The U.S. refugee resettlement process is an extensive, multi-layered system involving numerous security and background checks by agencies such as DHS, FBI, and the State Department, as well as in-person interviews, biometric screenings, and medical exams. Refugees undergo repeated vetting at every stage, from their initial United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) referral to their arrival and eventual green card application. The eligibility process that asylum seekers have undergone since 9/11 is more than adequate to safeguard the country. Former U.S. Commissioners Doris Meissner and James W. Ziglar, who served in the Clinton and Bush administrations, have said that: “We can testify to the many steps and safeguards that have been incorporated into refugee admissions screening in recent years to guard against fraud and terrorist or criminal infiltration. In fact, the U.S. refugee program has the most rigorous screening of any such program elsewhere in the world.” Trump’s framing is not only factually false, but dangerous: by falsely portraying refugees as security threats, he makes it harder to implement effective resettlement strategies that are grounded in evidence rather than panic. This narrative not only distorts the role of refugees but also undermines the U.S.’s international credibility and fuels anti-migrant extremism. It distorts the root causes of displacement and undermines international trust, making coordinated global responses to security threats more difficult and unpredictable in the long term. 

The importance of refugee resettlement in bolstering global stability and national security is undeniable. Trump's all-out war on migration and resettlement will be extremely damaging to these ends. The exclusionary tactics implemented in the first three months of the administration exemplify the deeply flawed narratives stretching back to the War on Terror that link refugee populations with national security threats. Further, refugee crises are inherently tied to geopolitical dynamics, and countries that close their doors to displaced people only fuel instability in already fragile regions. Refugee resettlement is not just a humanitarian issue but a critical element of conflict resolution, post-conflict development, and international security. The U.S. should pursue integrated policies that consider both the protection of displaced persons and the stability of states, like coordinated international funding for host countries, long-term integration programs such as language and job training, and regional cooperation frameworks that share responsibility and reduce the burden on any one nation. By refusing asylum to those fleeing violence and persecution, the U.S. fails to address the root causes of displacement, leading to more instability both within its borders and abroad. Moreover, Trump’s policies inflate xenophobic rhetoric, contributing to the further marginalization of refugees and stateless individuals. Far from enhancing U.S. national security, these policies risk deepening the very global insecurity they purport to prevent.

Graysen Kirk (CC ’27) is a human rights major with a minor in political science and is the Peace and Conflict representative for Columbia Academics on Foreign Affairs (CAFA), focusing on how gender, socioeconomics, and race play into global politics. She can be reached at gik2109@columbia.edu.