In his praise of his discussions with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, President-elect Donald Trump claims that she promised to “stop” migration, but Sheinbaum responds that “Mexico’s position is not to close borders.”
In statements that went beyond his counterpart’s description of a conversation about migration “strategy,” President-elect Donald Trump claimed that Mexico’s leader had decided to “stop” migration during their negotiations, thereby sealing the southern US border.
“Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately,” Trump declared on social media on Wednesday, praising achievements in halting what he described as a “illegal invasion” that he has pledged to address when he assumes office in January.
Trump’s comments, which seemed to suggest a significant deal between the United States and Mexico, prompted an immediate response from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
According to Sheinbaum, her nation has no intention of closing its border.
“Mexico’s position is not to close borders, but to build bridges between governments and communities,” Sheinbaum stated on X.
She had previously posted a picture of herself grinning during a phone call along with a few facts about the conversations.
“We discussed Mexico’s strategy on the migration phenomenon and I shared that caravans are not arriving at the northern border because they are being taken care of in Mexico,” Sheinbaum stated on X.
The president added that they also talked about “the campaign we are conducting in the country to prevent the consumption of fentanyl” and “strengthening collaboration on security issues.”
In the US, “400,000 jobs will be lost.”
Trump’s remarks followed his announcement on social media on Monday that he would levy 10% tariffs on Chinese goods and 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico.
“This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” Trump posted on his profile on Truth Social.
The Republican has pledged to declare a national emergency on border security and employ the US military to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants after winning an election when illegal migration was a major issue.
According to Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, if Trump carries out his threat, “400,000 jobs will be lost” in the US. He referenced a research that used data from US automakers with Mexican manufacturing facilities.
Ebrard mentioned the US market for pickup vehicles, the majority of which are made in Mexico, and claimed that the tariffs would likewise have a significant negative impact on US customers. The minister claimed that the tariffs would raise the price of a new car by $3,000.
At her usual morning conference, Ebrard told reporters, “The impact of this measure will chiefly be felt by consumers in the United States… That is why we say that it would be a shot in the foot.”
