Trump, Waltz Link French Riots to Mass Immigration as Arrests Rise

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that France’s intensifying unrest was being fueled by “out of control mass migration.” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz reinforced that argument, pointing to unchecked immigration and what he described as wider failures in European economic and social policy.

Speaking to News Media about Trump’s remarks and the violence reported across France, Waltz denounced the destruction while tying the unrest to the country’s immigration approach and long-standing government decisions.

“We should always condemn lawlessness and the violence we’re seeing in Paris,” Waltz told News Media. “At the same time, we have to acknowledge that open borders and a pro-migration, unchecked immigration policy—combined with years of policies that limit access to basic energy and overspend on other government programs—can create a level of frustration that eventually boils over.”

As the turmoil spread, Trump argued that the demonstrations had moved far beyond student anger over France’s schools. “What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, I think you’re seeing the consequences of some of those policies, and President Trump has drawn attention to them,” Waltz said.

The statements came during France’s most turbulent day of school-related protests since the movement began in September. Police used tear gas in Paris and other major cities as demonstrators set fires and threw projectiles. France’s Interior Ministry reported 6,100 arrests, most involving minors, Reuters said. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called the violence the education system’s “heaviest toll in decades.”

The Interior Ministry said 6,100 people had been detained, with minors accounting for the vast majority. Lecornu told lawmakers that at least 215 teenagers and 85 school employees had been injured. His office also reported injuries to more than 700 police officers, according to Reuters.

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Clashes were reported in Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg and Rennes, where police deployed tear gas after protesters started fires and launched objects. The High School Students Union said more than half of France’s approximately 3,700 high schools were blocked or expected to shut down Tuesday. Paris police said roughly 300 people tried to confront officers there, although officials described the demonstrations elsewhere as largely peaceful.

Theo Wold, who previously served as an assistant attorney general and as a White House deputy assistant for domestic policy during Trump’s administration, likewise said immigration was playing a role in the unrest.

“The French have a well-known tradition of strikes, work stoppages and protests in the streets. That is deeply embedded in the civic culture of the Fifth Republic,” Wold told News Media. “The new element is the violence, lawlessness and rioting. This is a consequence of mass immigration.”

Trump, Waltz and Wold have all attributed the violence in part to immigration. However, reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press indicates that the protests initially centered on school conditions, including teacher shortages, crowded classrooms, deteriorating facilities and insufficient education funding. Students have also pointed to leaking buildings and rat infestations as part of their complaints.

The unrest has also become a flashpoint in France’s broader political struggle ahead of the presidential election scheduled for April and May 2027. Reuters reported last week that government officials and political rivals had accused lawmakers and mayors affiliated with the hard-left France Unbowed, or LFI, of encouraging the protests. The party has rejected those allegations.

News Media’s Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this story.