Mexican Officials Warn Trump Tariffs Could Exacerbate Immigration Problem

Mexican diplomats warned Monday that the Trump administration’s threat to impose tariffs on all Mexican imports to the U.S. until the country does more to control the flow of illegal immigrants could have the opposite effect of exacerbating the situation at the southern border.

The move may well be “counterproductive,” said Mexican ambassador to the U.S. Martha Barcena during emergency talks in Washington, D.C. on Monday. “Without Mexico’s efforts, an additional quarter million migrants could arrive at the U.S. border in 2019.”

Trump’s announcement, made at the end of last month on Twitter, called for a 5 percent tariff on all products from Mexico to take effect on June 10 and continue until “the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied.” The U.S. will progressively raise tariffs to 25 percent by October if Mexico refuses to take action on immigration, according to the White House.

US Army hits 2026 recruiting goals four months early, Pete Hegseth announces at West Point commencement

Breaking: Kyle Busch’s Family Reveals Cause of Death

EXCLUSIVE: Trump-backed military vet mocked for disability ahead of Memorial Day: ‘Most shameful thing’

What One Illinois Town Says About The Current State Of America

Possible Statue of Pharaoh Who Moses May Have Confronted Discovered in Egypt

Sanders-backed gubernatorial hopeful’s past pro-life views clash with current abortion stance

Trump Issues Forceful Defense of His Anti-Weaponization Fund as Senate Republicans Balk

Military families want DOJ to distribute nearly $800M from French cement company found guilty of bribing ISIS

‘Moderate’ Dem’s unearthed ‘deconstruct’ law enforcement comments draw fire from GOP critics

Inside the rise of hardship politics as wealthy Democrats eye 2028

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake rocks Hawaii’s Big Island as Kilauea volcano likely to erupt again in days

Judge Tosses Evidence Against Luigi Mangione

UC Davis fraternity student’s 2001 death ruled a suicide after 29 stab wounds questioned in true crime podcast

Dem Darling Raked In Cash From Donors With Chinese Gov’t, CCP Intel Ties

Platner’s brutal attacks on Army soldiers as ‘fat, lazy’ revealed in resurfaced posts

“Slapping tariffs, along with a decision to cancel aid programs to the northern Central American countries, could have a counterproductive effect and would not reduce migrations flows,” Mexican foreign-affairs secretary Marcelo Ebrard said. “The tariffs could be very costly for the U.S. economy, for consumers in the United States, and the Mexican economy.”

Mexico’s agriculture secretary, Víctor Manuel Villalobos, said a 5 percent tariff on Mexican products headed to the U.S. would cut such trade by $1.4 billion annually.

Mexico is “willing to continue to work with the U.S. to address issues of common concern,” Ebrard said. “We believe our countries can reach a deal on how to face a matter on which our approaches are different.”

The officials also highlighted Mexico’s current efforts to control illegal immigration to the U.S., with Barcena noting that the country has deported more than 80,000 migrants back to their countries of origin. Mexico is also allowing nearly 9,000 migrants to stay in Mexico as they await asylum hearings in the U.S., and hosting another 18,000 migrants who plan to apply for asylum as soon as availability allows.