Two days after President-elect Donald Trump suggested he might implement substantial tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his plan to tackle illegal immigration and drug trafficking, he announced a breakthrough in his discussions with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Trump stated that during their conversation, Sheinbaum had agreed to take action to “stop migration through Mexico,” which he described as effectively “closing the Southern Border.”
A Fruitful Discussion on Immigration
On November 27, 2024, Trump went to Truth Social and wrote about his conversation with Sheinbaum, where he mentioned that it was a “very productive conversation!” He further said that this agreement would be a major crack on illegal migration, adding that it was a very decisive step in solving the issue of migration.
Mexican President Sheinbaum also confirmed the exchange, saying that the dialogue was “excellent.” She wrote her opinion on social media: “We discussed Mexico’s strategy on migration issues, and I told him the caravans are not reaching the northern (U.S.) border, because Mexico is taking care of them.” Other very important points included in their discussion are strengthening security cooperation while respecting Mexico’s sovereignty, and addressing concerns regarding fentanyl.
Impact on Trump’s Tariff Plans Remains Unclear
While their discussion about the migration policy seemed positive, it is still unknown how this change will impact the tariff plan that Trump previously announced. On Monday, Trump said that one of his first executive actions upon entering office on January 20 would be to apply a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada. The tariffs were touted as part of his larger efforts to stem illegal immigration, even though border apprehensions have recently declined.
Migration Dips Despite Apprehensions
Illegal immigration into the U.S. from Mexico has dropped substantially with help from cooperation between the Biden administration and the authorities in Mexico. Border crossing decreased by 40 percent since the all-time high of December 2022; and officials credited Mexican measures aimed at enforcement to spur this decline. The heightened watchfulness by the forces of Mexico, particularly rail yards and highway checkpoints, have contributed to these efforts.
Trump’s Border Security and Immigration Focus
Migrant inflow continues to feature at the center of Donald Trump’s political rhetoric. Despite the trend showing that inflow has been moving downward, he remains focused on more stringent measures for this inflow, applying both economic pressure and diplomatic efforts in his bid to contain what he refers to as uncontrolled illegal migration.
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