PPresident-elect Donald Trump announced that he had succeeded in curbing illegal immigration from Mexico on Wednesday after speaking with the country’s leader. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested that Mexico is already doing its part and is not interested in closing its borders.
The two spoke just days after Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs.
Trump said Sheinbaum “agreed to freeze immigration to Mexico.” Sheinbaum separately revealed on social media that she told Trump that Mexico was already “taking care” of the migrant caravans, calling it a “very good conversation.”
“We emphasize that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between people,” said Sheinbaum.
Read more: What Donald Trump’s Victory Means for Immigrants
While the nature of the proposed tariffs remains unclear, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account that it would “effectively close our Southern Border.” He called it “a very productive conversation.”
The exchange between the two leaders appeared to confirm to Trump the importance of threatening to disrupt trade with import tariffs. His first social media post moved the stock markets and gave him a response he was quick to describe as a winner. Even if the proposed tariffs fail to materialize, Trump can tell supporters that they may just be an effective policy tool and continue to rely on tariff threats.
Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the leaders “discussed Mexico’s strategy regarding migration issues, and I told him that the caravans do not reach the northern (American) border, because Mexico takes care of them.”
“We also talked about strengthening cooperation on security issues, within the framework of our sovereignty, and the campaign we are making to prevent the use of fentanyl,” he said.
Illegal immigration at the Mexican border is down in part because the Biden administration has gotten cooperation from Mexico — the kind Trump seems to be celebrating.
Arrivals at the US-Mexico border are down 40 percent from a peak in December. US officials strongly recommend Mexican vigilance around rail yards and highway checkpoints.
Driven by increasing pressure from the US to stop migrants going north, in the last few years Mexican authorities have resorted to rounding them up throughout the country and sending them to southern Mexico, in a strategy seen by experts as an attempt to dress up the migrants until now. they sacrifice.
Neither side has clarified the tax situation. But their implementation could push up prices and slow economic growth, which could blow up a trade deal between the US, Canada and Mexico that was finalized in 2020 when Trump was in the White House.
Trump on Monday said he would impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico as one of his first orders when he takes office on January 20. He also proposed an additional 10% tariff on China’s exports. materials used in the production of fentanyl.
Read more: How Trump’s tariffs could affect higher imports from Mexico, Canada and China
When he announced his plans, he railed against the flow of fentanyl and immigrants crossing into the US illegally, or the fear of the southern border that has been swirling for nearly four years.
On Wednesday, Trump also tweeted that he is planning a massive ad campaign to explain “how bad Fentanyl is for people to use,” predicting it will teach people “how bad this drug is.”
The powerful opioid was developed to treat severe pain from diseases such as cancer but has become increasingly mixed with other drugs when prescribed illegal drugs.
In September, the United States imported $378.9 billion in goods from Mexico, $322.2 billion from China and $309.3 billion from Canada.
-Hussein reported from West Palm Beach. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.
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