Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on March 05, 2026 in New York City. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other federal agencies continue to have presence in immigration courts as immigrants attend court hearings as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security whose funding lapsed on February 14th. MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO / AFP
A UN watchdog warned on Wednesday, March 11, that racist hate speech by US President Donald Trump and other political leaders, coupled with intensified immigration crackdowns, was fueling grave rights violations. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination highlighted the growing "racist hate speech" targeting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the United States.
It also pointed to the use of "derogatory and dehumanising language" and harmful stereotypes targeting the same people. These groups have been portrayed "as criminals or as a burden, by politicians and influential public figures at the highest level of the state party, particularly its president," the group said in an urgent report. This "fosters intolerance and may incite racial discrimination [and] hate crimes," it warned.
