INTERNACIONAL
Trump urged to review UN immunity, lax visa rules amid national security concerns
A 1947 agreement outlining obligations as host of the United Nations continues to give employees and their family members relatively unfettered access to the U.S.
At a time of increased national security fears and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, experts are urging a re-examination of the host nation agreement with an eye to the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff and the limited vetting given to those with U.N. visas.
«The United States appears to have taken a relaxed view of the individuals entering the country associated with the U.N., either as employees or as representatives of various country missions. And yet we know that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close, direct relationships with terrorist organizations, like UNRWA and Hamas,» Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital.
UN WATCHDOG PROJECT CALLS ON DOGE CAUCUS TO ‘AUDIT’ THE INTERNATIONAL ORG
Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s minister for foreign affairs, talks with Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s U.N. ambassador, during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, April 24, 2023. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Bayefsky said there is «a disconnect between the welcome routine and the significant harm to American interests. Hosting the U.N. does not require the host country to facilitate or endure threats to its national security.»
The federal government grants G visas to employees, spouses and children of international organizations, including the U.N., who reside in, or are visiting, the U.S. According to the State Department’s website, «if you are entitled to a G visa, under U.S. visa law, you must receive a G visa. The exceptions to this rule are extremely limited.» The Department of State also explains that «Embassies and consulates generally do not require an interview for those applying for G-1 – 4 and NATO-1 – 6 visas, although a consular officer can request an interview.»
Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 U.S. former ambassadors to the U.N., told Fox News Digital that it «appears to me that the issuance of the G visas for [U.N. employees] is a relatively rubber stamp exercise.» While not requiring interviews of personnel has «become a matter of convenience, frankly, we should always be able to assess a threat to our country.»’
Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, said nations like Russia and China are only allowed to travel a certain distance from U.N. headquarters. «We are mindful of our adversaries’ activities and presence here, but the door is open to participate in the U.N. and the host country agreement makes that possible so that no country would be barred because of a certain political atmosphere or issue that might be brewing between us and them.»
Former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi displays the photo of Gen. Kasim Soleimani at the United Nations. (Peter Aitken for Fox News Digital)
Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it requires interviews for staff from adversarial member states, including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, but received no response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers «have full authority to require an in-person interview for any reason.»
Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Fox News Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff participating in activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that «U.S. legal system has come to accept that pretty much it’s a blanket coverage.» He added that «immunity breeds impunity.»
REPUBLICANS SEEK TO BLOCK THE REAPPOINTMENT OF UN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM
Gallo claimed that there is an epidemic of sexual offenses and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an incident in which a U.N. employee outside the U.S. sexually harassed «a young female in his department.» Gallo said it took two years after receipt of the investigation report for an investigation to be completed, which resulted in the demotion of the offending employee. Gallo said the employee who was harassed, and her harasser remained in the same organization.
Gallo said that if employees take part in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to examine cases and determine whether staff should retain their G visas.
Dugan said that if U.N. personnel «knew that [immunity] could be lifted at any time by us… they might start behaving a lot differently.»
China’s Vice President Han Zheng addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 21, 2023. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
In response to questions about whether U.N. staff have been accused of sexual misconduct in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson explained the department «generally does not provide» revocation statistics. They also said that «all visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted. Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States.»
The spokesperson said officials of the U.N. «are expected to respect applicable laws of the United States, including criminal laws. Failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence.» They added that this «applies for those who hold diplomatic immunity for their positions as well.»
Among staff who have raised internal alarm bells is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, who traveled to the U.S. in 2024 to deliver a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been condemned widely by senior U.S. diplomats and the State Department, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S.
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In addition to qualifying for «rubber stamp» G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to retirement.
INTERNACIONAL
Gran Bretaña también avanza en un plan para prohibir o limitar el uso de redes sociales a menores de 16 años
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¿Una prohibición estilo australiano?
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El proyecto incluye:
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EXCLUSIVE: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a high-profile women’s rights activist who fled Sharia law, has endorsed Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for re-election in a critical Senate race that could determine whether the GOP retains its majority.
In a video announcing her endorsement, Ali, a speaker and author who fled Somalia after suffering female genital mutilation, said that «only John Cornyn has a proven record of stopping radical Islamic extremism.»
«I’ve seen firsthand what radical Islam does to women, to families, and to nations who ignore the warning signs. America is not immune, and neither is Texas,» she went on, adding, «That’s why experience matters.»
This comes amid an already contentious Senate primary race in Texas between Cornyn, who has held the seat since 2002, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. President Donald Trump has not weighed in on the race, though he recently hinted he may do so, saying, «My problem is I’m friendly with all of them.»
TEXAS GOVERNOR EXPOSES ‘HYPOCRISY’ OF DEM PUSH FOR STATES’ RIGHTS IN MINNESOTA AFTER BIDEN YEARS
Left: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Center: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Right: Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. (Official website of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton; Kevin Dietsch/Getty; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Texas leaders have recently sounded the alarm about the growth of Sharia law in the Lone Star State. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently issued a proclamation designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as «foreign terrorist organizations» and «transnational criminal organizations» under Texas law.
Ali emphasized the importance of Cornyn’s experience in pushing back against Sharia law, taking subtle jabs at Paxton and Hunt, who would be first-term senators.
She said that Cornyn «has taken the threat seriously when others choose denial or political games.»
«If you want a Texas that protects its people and defends its values, you need a leader who understands the danger and knows how to stop it,» she said.
«To keep Texas strong and safe from radical Islam, vote John Cornyn.»
GOP GOVERNOR LAYS OUT PLAN TO ‘PURGE’ TERRORISTS AND TERROR SUPPORTERS FROM STATE
Author Ayaan Hirsi Ali attends a book presentation of ‘Reformiert Euch! Warum der Islam such aendern muss – Refurbished you! Why Islam must change’ on April 20, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. ( (Photo by Christian Marquardt/Getty Images))
In response, Cornyn told Fox News Digital, «I am honored to be endorsed by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who has spoken fearlessly about the dangers of radical Islam from her own experience.»
Cornyn’s office pointed to several actions he has taken as senator to push back on Sharia Law in the U.S., including recently Introducing the Defeat Sharia Law in America Act, which the office said aims to clarify that discriminating based on Sharia Law is a violation of the Civil Rights Act, co-sponsoring the No Sharia Act, which it said prohibits U.S. courts from enforcing foreign laws or judgments that violate the Constitution and calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate «EPIC Ranches City» in Texas, a master-planned development that allegedly marketed itself as a Muslims-only community.
In 2025, Cornyn also introduced legislation to strip the tax-exempt status from organizations that provide material support to designated terrorist groups, specifically targeting CAIR. He also co-sponsored the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which directs the Secretary of State to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
«For many years now, I have worked to confront this radical ideology, from working to ban Sharia Law, to identifying, arresting and prosecuting terrorist organizations, and calling on the DOJ to investigate the EPIC City development,» Cornyn said. «I will continue to protect Texans from the threat of radical Islamic ideology anywhere in our country.»
TEXAS REPUBLICANS LAUNCH ‘SHARIA FREE AMERICA CAUCUS’ AIMED AT DEFENDING ‘WESTERN CIVILIZATION’
People arrive at a mosque to attend Friday prayers, in Plano, Texas, on April 11, 2025. (RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Ali’s endorsement comes just over two weeks until the GOP’s primary election day in Texas.
Cornyn, a high-ranking Senate Republican, has also been endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee as well as the National Border Patrol Council.
Meanwhile, Paxton, who has served as the top attorney for Texas since 2015, was recently endorsed by Turning Point Action, the political arm of the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA. Hunt, a U.S. Army veteran, has been endorsed by Veterans for America First.
Both Paxton and Hunt have also spoken out against Sharia Law in Texas. Paxton sued CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, seeking to shut them down and bar their operations in Texas. He also sued the developers behind EPIC as well, arguing they violated Texas securities law by selling investment interests without proper registration and by failing to verify accredited investor status as required.
Hunt has said Sharia law is «completely incompatible with the founding principles of the United States of America» and argued it should have no place in U.S. legal or civic systems.
TEXAS DEMOCRAT FEUD GROWS AS COLIN ALLRED CLAIMS JAMES TALARICO MADE OFFENSIVE REMARK ABOUT FAMILY, CAMPAIGNS
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) questions former Special Counsel Jack Smith as he testifies during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 22, 2026 in Washington, D.C. State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and US Senate candidate, during a debate at the 2026 Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown, Texas, US, on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Al Drago/Getty Images; Bob Daemmrich/The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
All three Republican candidates have touted their support for Trump and their records of supporting his agenda in their respective offices.
Trump recently told reporters that he may weigh in on the primary race soon, saying, «I’m giving it a very serious look.»
«You know, my problem is I’m friendly with all of them. I like all of them, all three,» Trump said.
«But you’ll be seeing soon,» he went on. «They say whoever I endorse wins. That’s probably right.»
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Whichever Republican emerges victorious from the primary election will face off against either leading Democratic voice Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, or progressive rising star state Rep. James Talarico.
According to Paxton’s office, Ali will appear at a campaign roundtable with religious leaders in North Texas later this week.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X that he met with U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
«Thank you for seeing us,» Blumenthal can be heard saying in a video included in Zelenskyy’s post. «We look forward to hearing from you, ah, about how we can be more helpful.»
Zelenskyy indicated in the post that during the meeting he «thanked the United States for its strong bipartisan support and work for peace.»
UK, GERMAN DEFENSE OFFICIALS DEFEND MILITARY BUILDUP UNDER RUSSIAN THREATS
Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends the 62nd Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, 2026, in Germany. (Gisela Schober/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has been trying to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, but the two nations remain locked in conflict.
«Before our meeting, the senators met with children whom Ukraine managed to return from Russia. Thank you, this is truly important,» Zelenskyy noted in the post.
RUBIO MEETS WITH ZELENSKYY AHEAD OF CRUCIAL GENEVA TALKS, SAYS TRUMP WANTS SOLUTION THAT ‘ENDS BLOODSHED’
Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, left, and Richard Blumenthal speak at a press conference following a meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Feb. 16, 2026. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
«We see no better tools to influence Moscow than pressure. There is an important sanctioning act in the Senate right now, and we expect it to work. I also informed them about the constant Russian strikes on our people and, in particular, on American businesses as well. It is absolutely fair that Russian money should be used to defend against this terror, and we discussed the prospects of utilizing immobilized Russian assets to purchase missiles for the Patriot systems,» he added.
«I thank the President, Congress, and the people of the United States for their support,» Zelenskyy noted.
UKRAINE STRIKES MAJOR RUSSIAN AMMO DEPOT WITH ‘FLAMINGO’ MISSILE AS TRUMP URGES ZELENSKYY TO MOVE ON DEAL
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Fox News Digital reached out to the senators’ offices on Monday.
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Uno de los jefes de la CGT adelantó que convocarán a un paro general por la reforma laboral: “Trabajaremos para que sea una gran huelga”
POLITICA3 días agoEl Gobierno busca aprobar la reforma laboral y el Régimen Penal Juvenil antes del 1 de marzo
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