PHOTO: Migrants carrying a cross left from Tapachula, Mexico to the U.S. border on March 25, 2024 INSET: Mexico’s newly elected President Claudia Sheinbaum. /ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

‘Meanwhile PM Trudeau reveals he had a “good” call with President-elect DJT, who similarly had ‘threatened’ to impose 25-percent tariffs on Canada’ – NEWSWEEK. 

By Jesus Mesa, Politics Reporter | NEWSWEEK

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s renewed threats of steep tariffs this week, asserting that migrant caravans are no longer reaching the U.S.-Mexico border.

Her remarks underscored growing tensions as Trump plans to tighten immigration policies and impose a 25 percent tariff on Mexican imports. Trump declared that the tariffs would remain in place “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”

“Caravans of migrants no longer reach the border,” Sheinbaum said on Tuesday while presenting a letter she plans to send to Trump in the coming days.

She also emphasized Mexico’s efforts to curb the flow of drugs, including the synthetic opioid fentanyl, while noting that it remains “a public health and consumption problem within your country’s society.”

Newsweek reached out to Trump’s transition team for comment on Tuesday.

As Trump prepares for his second inauguration, his harsh rhetoric on migration has resurfaced, coinciding with a caravan of approximately 1,500 migrants from Central and South America heading toward the U.S. border before his proposed policies take effect.

The urgency is partly fueled by Trump’s promise to dismantle measures such as the CBP One app, which currently allows migrants to schedule asylum appointments remotely. However, Sheinbaum reminded Trump that Mexico is not to blame for the caravans reaching the border.

“Maybe President Trump doesn’t know this, but of those arriving at the border—which is significantly fewer, 75 percent less than in December 2023—half them have a CBP One appointment.

“In other words, they have an appointment. So, they [the U.S.] are the ones inviting them to come to the United States,” she said.

Sheinbaum also highlighted Mexico’s proactive role in addressing migration while criticizing the U.S. for failing to tackle the root causes. “If a percentage of what the United States spends on war were dedicated to peace and development, it would address the underlying causes of migration,” she said, advocating for regional investment over punitive measures.

On the subject of tariffs, Sheinbaum suggested Mexico could retaliate. “One tariff would be followed by another in response, escalating until we risk harming mutual businesses,” she warned, pointing to U.S. automakers with manufacturing plants on both sides of the border.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also revealed on Tuesday he had a “good” call with Trump after the President-elect similarly threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada.

Trudeau expressed confidence that the U.S. and Canada could work together in “constructive ways” to address their differences.

However, Trump’s threat faces significant obstacles. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) prohibits member countries from unilaterally imposing tariffs on one another. Moreover, sudden measures could disrupt the interconnected economies, particularly the auto industry, where production relies heavily on cross-border supply chains.

“It is unacceptable and would cause inflation and job losses in both Mexico and the United States,” Sheinbaum said, adding that she is open to dialogue. “We expect to have a conversation with him very soon,” she noted.

As of November 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a significant decrease in migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border compared to the previous year. In October 2024, there were approximately 100,000 encounters, marking a 75 percent reduction from the same period in 2023. ##