Trump Tells France to 'CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!' After Weekend Riots; France Orders Local Curfews

President Trump on Monday urged France to "CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!" after a weekend of rioting across the country that led to at least 2,400 arrests, as French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered local curfews to head off more violence, the New York Post reported.

"The migrants have taken over France," Trump posted on Truth Social Monday morning. "They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!"

The claim that migrants "have taken over France" is Trump's; his post did not cite figures to support it.

Trump on France's Borders and the Riots

The riots began over the state of education and the high cost of living, according to the Post, and spread to Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Lille, among other cities, where rioters raided luxury stores and other businesses. The Post reported that the riots were dominated by far-left groups and second-generation immigrant youths.

France and 28 other European nations belong to the Schengen Area of free movement, which means identity checks are not routinely carried out on travelers arriving from those countries, the Post noted.

Curfews Ordered Monday

Also on Monday, Lecornu said he had instructed city prefects to impose "very limited" and "localized" curfews, while defending police against criticism that they had lost control of the streets.

"On Saturday, despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed, and that is a miracle," Lecornu said, adding that details of the curfews would be released later Monday, according to the Post.

In Marseille, the prefect banned any protest or other gathering from noon to 8 p.m. local time Monday, the Post reported.

Interior Minister Offered to Resign

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered his resignation on Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron asked him to stay "given the need for continued command of law enforcement in the current context," according to a statement from the Élysée Palace cited by the Post. The statement also told the minister to "ensure full transparency about the failures in planning and intelligence-gathering that led to the violence."

"I submitted my resignation because I am responsible for everything that is happening," Nuñez told France Inter radio, according to the Post.

Unlike Lecornu, Nuñez acknowledged that authorities had "obviously" lost control "in some of these major cities," the Post reported.

Sources: New York Post, "Trump urges France to 'close the borders' after weekend of rioting: 'The migrants have taken over'," Oct. 19, 2026: https://nypost.com/2026/10/19/world-news/trump-urges-france-to-close-the-borders-after-weekend-of-rioting-the-migrants-have-taken-over/