President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Keir Starmer during Trump's second state visit to the United Kingdom that Starmer could deploy the military to seal the borders to curb illegal crossings, according to remarks at a news conference following a meeting at Chequers. Trump described discussions of migration policy with Starmer and suggested that any means to deter illegal migration should be considered, including military support. The statements underscored how the two leaders used the global platform of a state visit to present a united front on border security while signaling that perspectives on the best tools for enforcement may differ.
Starmer, who has led the Labour Party since 2024, said illegal migration is an issue his government has tackled with a range of measures and alliances. He pointed to migrant returns deals with other European countries, including France, and noted the first migrant return under the one-for-one agreement with France as a sign of progress. He cautioned, however, that there is no single solution that will instantly resolve the challenge, and emphasized that the government has been pursuing a broad set of policies to deter smuggling networks and manage arrivals.
The discussion came as data highlighted the scale of the problem. More than 30,000 people had crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, the highest tally at this point in any year since record-keeping began in 2018. The figure underscored a political fault line in British discourse on immigration and border control, placing pressure on Prime Minister Starmer to show voters that government action is delivering results.
Both leaders highlighted the breadth of their bilateral cooperation, including a new technology pact they described as a way for the United States and the United Kingdom to dominate developments in artificial intelligence. The exchange, framed as part of a broader push to cement the special relationship between the two allies, followed a series of high-profile diplomatic moments during Trump’s trip, including a Windsor Castle audience with King Charles and a state banquet.
Amid the concord on migration and tech, Trump noted a difference with Starmer on a separate issue: the question of Palestinian statehood. Trump said he had a disagreement with the prime minister on that subject, a reminder that the visit touched on areas where the two leaders do not see eye to eye, even as they projected unity on other priorities.
Trump’s visit, which included the royal welcome and ceremonial proceedings, signaled a carefully calibrated balancing act. For Trump, the trip offered a chance to shore up transatlantic ties and to present a tough immigration message to a broad audience. For Starmer, it provided an opportunity to project continuity with the conventional, alliance-based approach favored by the United Kingdom’s mainstream policy establishment while navigating domestic political expectations around migration. The two-day sequence of events—capped by a state banquet and formal meetings—highlighted the continuing centrality of the U.S.-UK relationship in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
While the two leaders stressed common ground on border security and technology, observers noted that the public exchange also reflected the political complexity of migration policy in both countries. In the United States, immigration remains a central domestic issue with legal and political implications; in the United Kingdom, the Channel crossings have become a defining political issue for the governing party and a potential electoral vulnerability. The exchange at Chequers and subsequent remarks at the following events served to frame the discourse around how the two close allies intend to confront migration and related security challenges in the coming months.