Trump blames Spain for migrant crisis despite tens of thousands already returning to Morocco

Ceuta's regional president said on Friday that around 60,000 migrants had crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave in the previous 24 hours. That is equal to about 70 percent of the city's population in North Africa. Spain's government said more than half have already returned voluntarily, but the sudden arrival caused chaos and a humanitarian crisis.

President Donald Trump used the situation to warn Americans during a cabinet meeting at Camp David. He called the events in Spain a catastrophe and an invasion, and said the same thing could happen to the United States, only worse and much bigger, if Republicans do not win the election. With Trump's approval rating in the low 30s and Democrats hoping to gain at least partial control of Congress in November's midterms, the crisis gives Republicans a chance to return to one of their strongest political issues.

European right-wing leaders also reacted quickly. Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right AfD, wrote on X that Ceuta had been left in ruins overnight and that Germany is likely the destination for most of these migrants. She called for secured borders and rigorous rejections. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finland's populist right-wing ruling coalition both called for Spain to be excluded from Europe's visa-free zone. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis blamed Spain's policy of granting legal status to hundreds of thousands of migrants already in the country and said Spaniards are being replaced.

The Trump administration issued a coordinated response. The State Department blamed Spain's government for deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe, and said Washington was considering actions to defend Americans and stood ready to assist European allies. Vice President JD Vance shared footage of the migrant wave, saying it highlighted radical left-wing globalist policies that enabled the Invasion of the West. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posted video and said Democrats would see homes trampled and stolen by invaders and would rejoice.