Even before Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to shut down immigration processing for Afghan migrants in the wake of a horrific shooting near the White House, the State Department was reportedly taking steps to push governments around the world to restrict migration on the grounds that it supposedly caused violent crime to flourish.
A New York Times report on Wednesday revealed a diplomatic cable sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio a week earlier directing U.S. diplomats around the world to pressure the governments of countries in Europe as well as Canada, New Zealand and Australia to heavily restrict migration. The November 21 cable, obtained by the Times, directs those ambassadors and their staffs to highlight crimes, especially violent acts, committed by migrants in their respective countries to make the Trump administration’s case.
