In a pointed slight to President Trump, the United Nation’s migration agency on Friday rejected the White House’s nominee to lead the agency.
Diplomats told the Associated Press that American Ken Isaacs, an executive for the Christian charitable organization Samaritan’s Purse, has been thrown out as a possible director-general for the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“The American is out,” said Senegalese diplomat Youssoupha Ndiaye as he left the voting. Member states eliminated Issacs after three rounds of voting.
The move marks a major shift for the 172 member-state body, which has been U.S.-led with one exception since 1951.
The Trump administration’s immigration policies have been condemned internationally over the last month after the Justice Department’s “zero tolerance” policy resulted in thousands of children separated from their parents while the adults are prosecuted for illegally crossing the border.
His travel ban on people from countries known to harbor terrorists has also been criticized as racist toward Muslims.
Critics accused Isaacs of posting egregiously anti-Muslim content on social media, including a post saying Islam is a violent religion.
The favored candidate is now Portuguese Socialist Antonio Vitorino, who is up against the other remaining candidate, IOM deputy director-general Laura Thompson of Costa Rica.