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U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the U.N. General Assembly in New York on September 23. / Source: UPI, Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed tough measures against illegal immigration, declaring that anyone entering the country unlawfully would face imprisonment or deportation either to their home country or to a third nation.

Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Trump said, “Our message is very simple: If you enter the United States illegally, you will either go to jail, return to where you came from, or perhaps end up somewhere even farther away.”

He urged other nations to adopt similarly strict immigration policies, arguing that “the failed experiment of open borders must end immediately.” Trump added, “Your countries are going to hell,” targeting European nations he said were overwhelmed by “an invasion of illegal immigrants on a scale never seen before.”

Turning to climate and energy, Trump denounced immigration and renewable energy as “a two-headed monster destroying the free world.” He argued that “the high costs of so-called green energy” were undermining freedom and prosperity, warning that “immigration and suicidal energy policies will bring about the end of Western Europe.”

During his roughly 57-minute address, Trump devoted 10 minutes to climate change, calling it a “hoax” and urging nations to abandon “the green scam” or risk collapse. He praised Germany’s return to nuclear and fossil fuels, declaring, “All green leads to bankruptcy.”

On trade, Trump defended his use of high tariffs on imports as “a tool to defend our sovereignty.” He also signaled further punitive duties, saying the U.S. would impose steep tariffs on Russia if European countries halted purchases of Russian oil and gas.

In foreign policy, Trump criticized U.S. allies such as France, the U.K., Canada, Australia, and Portugal for formally recognizing a Palestinian state earlier this month. He echoed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that such moves rewarded terrorism, citing Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel as the trigger for the ongoing Gaza war.