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.
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President Donald Trump lauded Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as «extraordinary» statesmen who complement each other’s strengths as they take the MAGA platform to the world stage.
Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace — an international forum aimed at funding Gaza’s reconstruction and coordinating a postwar stabilization force — convened its inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C., Thursday with delegations from more than 40 countries participating. Trump lauded the pair as he addressed the massive body of foreign leaders and representatives.
The meeting comes just less than a week after Rubio flew to Germany and delivered a speech before the Munich Security Conference, which earned applause from conservatives at home as he railed against unchecked mass migration and how it is destabilizing Western civilization.
JD VANCE CALLS AOC MUNICH MOMENT ‘MOST UNCOMFORTABLE 20 SECONDS OF TELEVISION’ HE HAS EVER SEEN
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as their wives, attended the Olympics opening together earlier in 2026. (Kevin Lamarque / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Vance led the U.S.’ delegation to the Security Conference in 2025, and delivered a speech that was viewed as a defining moment for the newly inaugurated Trump White House and for Vance himself on the world stage. Vance warned in his 2025 speech that European governments and institutions are drifting toward censorship, citing policies he said police speech, curb religious expression and pressure online platforms.
Trump lauded both of the administration leaders in his remarks, explaining that while the pair approach diplomacy «very differently,» the «result is the same.»
The president first celebrated Vance, remarking that he is «brilliant» and an excellent student.
RUBIO SHINES ON GLOBAL STAGE WHILE AOC, WHITMER, AND NEWSOM TAKE HEAT
«JD graduated in a four-and-a-half-year college in two years, and then he went to Yale, and he graduated at the top of his class, went to the military. Great. But when he went to Yale, there was one person that was marginally ahead of him. So he married her. Can you believe it? He married the person that was ahead,» Trump said, referring to second lady Usha Vance.
Usha Vance is pregnant with her fourth child. (Getty images)
Trump continued that Vance is «a brilliant guy and a great guy, and he’s been my friend,» before noting that he can be a «little bit tough on occasion.»
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«We gotta slow him down just a little bit on occasion,» Trump said. «He says his mind.»
As for Rubio, Trump called him «the opposite extreme» of Vance.
DAN GAINOR: FROM SECRETARY OF STATE TO SECRETARY OF MEMES, RUBIO WINS OVER MAGA
«Now then we have the opposite extreme,» he said. «We have your friend sitting in the back. Your best friend. Sitting in the back is Marco. Marco does it with a velvet glove, but it’s a kill, right? The result is the same. They do it very differently,» he said.
Vance has previously called Rubio his «closest friend in the administration» or «best friend in the administration» in public remarks, including in October while on a podcast and again while speaking with Fox News earlier in February.
Trump went on to joke that Rubio did such an excellent job delivering his speech before the Munich conference he considered firing him.
«Marco, you really did yourself proud two days ago in Munich. In fact, so proud that I almost terminated his employ because they were saying, ‘Why can’t Trump do this?’ I do, but I say it differently. But Marco, don’t do any better than you did. please. Because if you do, you’re out of here.»
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a bilateral meeting with China’s Foreign Minister (not in picture) in Munich, Feb. 13, 2026, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. ( Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
«I want my guys to do great. And the acclaim he’s gotten and they claim JD gets is, is great,» he continued.
The praise follows Rubio and Vance joining a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in February in Italy, and Vance leading a delegation that included Rubio during the Olympics’ opening ceremony in Milan.
Vance’s foreign policy profile became a point of media scrutiny earlier in 2026, when U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. Vance did not join Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida to monitor the operation, while Rubio was with the president.
Vance’s office previously brushed off report over his absence, citing that Trump and Vance limit the «frequency and duration» of time they spend together outside the White House due to «increased security concerns.»
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«I think it’s so interesting the media wants to create this conflict where there just isn’t any conflict,» Vance told Fox News earlier in February of the media scrutiny.
«Marco’s doing a great job. I’m trying to do as good of a job as I can. The president’s doing a great job. We’re going to keep on working together,» he added.
donald trump,marco rubio,jd vance,germany
INTERNACIONAL
La administración tecnócrata de Gaza anunció el despliegue de 5.000 policías en 60 días para reemplazar a Hamas
REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Alí Shaath, economista palestino y director de la Comisión Nacional para la Administración de Gaza (CNAG), anunció el jueves durante la reunión inaugural de la Junta de Paz en Washington el despliegue de una fuerza policial palestina de 5.000 agentes en un plazo de 60 días.
El anuncio se enmarca en la segunda fase del plan de 20 puntos del presidente Donald Trump para Gaza, que busca trasladar el control del enclave devastado desde el grupo terrorista Hamas hacia una estructura de gobernanza internacional supervisada directamente desde Washington.
Shaath, ex viceministro de la Autoridad Palestina, reconoció que la CNAG opera en condiciones extremadamente difíciles. Gran parte de la Franja resultó gravemente dañada tras dos años de guerra que dejaron al menos 70.000 palestinos muertos, según cifras de organismos palestinos confirmadas también por Israel.
La nueva fuerza policial responde a la primera de cuatro prioridades definidas por la comisión tecnócrata: restaurar la seguridad bajo una sola autoridad, una sola ley y una sola arma. Las otras tres áreas prioritarias incluyen reactivar la economía, garantizar ayuda humanitaria sostenible y restablecer servicios básicos como electricidad, agua, salud y educación.
El director de la Junta de Paz, el diplomático búlgaro Nikolai Mladenov, informó que unas 2.000 personas ya solicitaron unirse a esta fuerza de transición, que será entrenada en Egipto y operará bajo la autoridad civil de la CNAG. Mladenov estableció como condición esencial que todas las facciones armadas en Gaza sean desmanteladas y que las armas queden bajo control de una autoridad civil única. Para ello, afirmó, resulta imprescindible la implementación completa del plan de 20 puntos de Trump.
La Junta de Paz, presentada por Trump como una alternativa a Naciones Unidas, celebró su primera reunión con la participación de casi 50 países, superando los 27 miembros fundadores. Sin embargo, la ausencia de potencias europeas occidentales y el rechazo del Vaticano, México y varios países latinoamericanos evidencian las fisuras en el respaldo internacional al mecanismo impulsado por Estados Unidos.
La junta está dirigida por una estructura ejecutiva que incluye al secretario de Estado Marco Rubio, el yerno de Trump Jared Kushner, el exprimer ministro británico Tony Blair y el enviado especial Steve Witkoff, entre otros.
El plan de 20 puntos, presentado por Trump en septiembre de 2025 junto al primer ministro israelí Benjamín Netanyahu, establece un alto el fuego condicionado al desarme completo de Hamas, la liberación de rehenes israelíes y la creación de una zona libre de terrorismo en Gaza.
REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa/Fotografía de archivo
El documento contempla la formación de un gobierno de transición bajo supervisión internacional, un programa masivo de reconstrucción y, eventualmente, la posibilidad de avanzar hacia un Estado palestino, aunque Netanyahu ha rechazado categóricamente esta última perspectiva.
El principal obstáculo para la implementación del plan radica en el desarme de Hamas, que mantiene el control efectivo de Gaza desde 2007. Israel fijó un plazo de 60 días para que el grupo terrorista entregue todas sus armas, incluidas las ligeras como fusiles AK-47. El Departamento de Estado estadounidense reconoció que la desmilitarización constituye el desafío central del proceso.
Sin embargo, Khaled Meshaal, alto dirigente de Hamas, rechazó el desarme total y propuso únicamente un congelamiento de las armas, argumentando que desarmarse equivaldría a despojar al pueblo palestino de su alma.
La tensión se agrava por las continuas violaciones del alto el fuego. El ejército israelí mantiene el control de más del 50% del territorio gazatí y ha dejado claro que no renunciará al objetivo de desmilitarización total de la Franja. El ministerio de Salud de Gaza, operado por Hamas, reportó al menos 601 palestinos muertos por fuerzas israelíes desde el inicio de la tregua en octubre de 2025.
(AP Foto/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Mladenov advirtió que enviar al comité tecnócrata mientras persisten los enfrentamientos solo garantizará su inefectividad. El diplomático búlgaro anunció la creación de una Oficina del Alto Representante para Gaza, que él mismo encabezaría provisionalmente, con el objetivo de eliminar los obstáculos que enfrentará la CNAG al asumir el control civil y administrativo del enclave.
Trump anunció que Estados Unidos contribuirá con 10.000 millones de dólares para la reconstrucción de Gaza, mientras que nueve países árabes comprometieron otros 7.000 millones. Indonesia, Marruecos, Albania, Kosovo y Kazajistán ofrecieron tropas para la Fuerza Internacional de Estabilización prevista en el plan, aunque ningún gobierno ha formalizado compromisos definitivos sobre el número de efectivos ni el alcance de su mandato.
El modelo propuesto recuerda experiencias de administración internacional en Timor Oriental, Kosovo, Bosnia e Irak. Sin embargo, la ausencia de representación palestina en la junta ejecutiva internacional y la imposición vertical de estructuras de gobernanza han generado escepticismo sobre la viabilidad del proyecto. La historia demuestra que cuando el diseño es excesivamente vertical y la legitimidad local resulta limitada, la estabilidad suele ser precaria.
La CNAG, integrada por 15 tecnócratas palestinos, carece de función política y se limitará a la gestión logística y administrativa civil.
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INTERNACIONAL
Top US military commander visits Venezuela, meets new leader following operation to capture Maduro
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The head of the U.S. Southern Command traveled to Venezuela to meet with the country’s acting president just weeks after U.S. forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro.
The trip on Wednesday, described as a surprise visit, was the first to Venezuela by a U.S. military delegation since the Jan. 3 raid to retrieve Maduro, according to Reuters.
«The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Chargé d’Affaires to the Venezuela Affairs Unit, Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, and U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and the Americas Joseph M. Humire met with Venezuelan interim authorities in Caracas,» U.S. Southern Command said in a statement.
«During the meeting, the leaders reiterated the United States’ commitment to a free, safe and prosperous Venezuela for the Venezuelan people, the United States, and the Western Hemisphere,» it added.
VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MACHADO PRAISES TRUMP FOR DELIVERING ‘BERLIN WALL’ MOMENT FOR THE AMERICAS
Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, engages with Marines assigned to stand watch at U.S. Embassy facilities in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit )
«Discussions focused on the security environment, steps to ensure the implementation of President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan – particularly the stabilization of Venezuela – and the importance of shared security across the Western Hemisphere,» U.S. Central Command also said.
The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela added in a post on X that it was a «historic day» in a push to «advance the objective of a Venezuela aligned with the United States.»
TRUMP SAYS US PILOTS WERE ‘HIT PRETTY BAD IN THE LEGS’ DURING MADURO CAPTURE MISSION
Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, the chargé d’affaires to the Venezuela Affairs Unit, and Joseph M. Humire, acting assistant secretary of war for homeland defense and the Americas, pose for a photo in Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit )
Venezuela’s government said the U.S. delegation met with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, with the two sides agreeing to coordinate on drug-trafficking, terrorism and migration, Reuters reported. The Associated Press also confirmed that Donovan, who is the head of American military operations in Latin America, met with Rodriguez.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, waves after bidding farewell to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright following their meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)
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«The meeting reaffirms that diplomacy should be the mechanism for resolving differences and addressing issues of bilateral and regional interests,» it also cited Venezuela’s Communications Minister Miguel Angel Perez as saying on X.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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