Trump hints at invoking Nato's Article 5 to address illegal immigration

Trump has proposed invoking Nato's Article 5 to protect America's southern border, questioning whether the alliance would defend the US while reiterating concerns over illegal immigration

US President Donald Trump has hinted at putting the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to the test by invoking its Article 5 to protect America’s southern border from illegal immigrants.

 

Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Maybe we should have put Nato to the test: Invoked Article 5, and forced Nato to come here and protect our Southern Border from further Invasions of Illegal Immigrants, thus freeing up large numbers of Border Patrol Agents for other tasks.” He added that such a move would also “free up” a large number of Border Patrol agents for other duties.

 

The remarks came after Trump, speaking at the 56th Annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday, questioned Nato’s commitment to defending the United States. “The problem with Nato is that we’ll be there for them 100 per cent,” Trump said. “But I’m not sure that they’ll be there for us.” "With all the money we expend, with all the blood, sweat and tears, I don’t know that they’d be there for us," he added, reported ANI.

What is Nato’s Article 5 and how does it work?

Nato, a political and military alliance formed in 1949, comprises 32 member states, known as Nato Allies. The organisation was established to provide collective security for Europe against the Soviet threat. The current Nato Secretary-General is Mark Rutte.

 

Article 5 states that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all, committing allies to collective defence. In practice, the weight of Article 5 depends heavily on US support, as Europe relies largely on America for defence.

 

The provision has been invoked only once, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, after which Nato allies deployed thousands of troops to Afghanistan. Over the next two decades, the conflict claimed the lives of more than 3,400 Nato soldiers, including over 1,000 troops from outside the US.

 

According to a Financial Express report, the US contributes roughly two-thirds of Nato’s budget and maintains around 40,000 troops in Europe, including through initiatives such as the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI).

Why is Trump questioning Nato amid a border crackdown?

 

Trump’s comments come amid a massive crackdown on illegal immigration under his second-term administration, with border security a top priority. His current term has seen the implementation of tougher enforcement measures aimed at restoring operational control of the southern border.

 

Earlier this week, Trump also dropped tariff threats on eight European nations after reaching what he described as a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security and Greenland with Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump said the proposed arrangement, if finalised, would benefit both the United States and Nato allies.

 

Speaking at the WEF meeting in Davos, Trump called for “immediate negotiations” with European allies on Greenland, insisting that his stance did not pose a threat to Nato.