Washington, November 2026 : US President Donald Trump has threatened to double tariffs on Mexico unless the country takes immediate steps to stop migrant caravans travelling through its territory towards the United States, linking trade penalties to his demand for stricter immigration enforcement.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday, Trump claimed that groups of migrants were forming and moving through Mexico. He warned that they would not be allowed to enter the United States and said Mexican authorities and US immigration agencies had been informed.
“Mexico must stop them, now, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be immediately doubled,” Trump wrote.
However, the President did not specify which existing tariffs would be increased, what categories of Mexican goods would be affected or the legal authority under which the proposed increase would be imposed. He also did not provide a specific date for the threatened action.
Sheinbaum Responds to Trump's Tariff Warning
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Trump's warning by saying that no migrant caravan had reached the US border since he returned to office in January 2025, according to Mexican newspaper Diario de Yucatan.
The newspaper reported that Sheinbaum said one migrant group in Arriaga, in the southern state of Chiapas, had declined from around 500-600 people to fewer than 100.
She said Mexican authorities were explaining the difficulties involved in entering the United States and informing migrants about alternative options. These included returning to their countries of origin or remaining in Mexico under certain conditions.
Sheinbaum also said another group arriving from Honduras was receiving humanitarian assistance and information about the options available to them.
Her comments focused on the progress of migrant groups through Mexican territory and the assistance being provided by authorities, while Trump's demand was that Mexico prevent them from reaching the US border.
Trump Links Migration Warning to US Midterm Elections
Trump also linked his warning to the political outcome of the US midterm elections, suggesting that the perceived electoral setbacks for Republicans had encouraged renewed migration towards the country.
“Here we go again! With the perceived loss by the Republicans in the Midterms - I was not on the ballot- the invasion of our Country is taking place again,” he wrote.
The President did not provide evidence to establish a connection between the election outcome and the movement of migrant groups.
He said Mexico, the Governor of Texas, the incoming Texas governor, US Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had been informed of the situation. Trump added that there would be no leniency in enforcing immigration restrictions.
Tariff Threat Comes Amid US-Mexico Trade Talks
The latest warning comes as Washington and Mexico are negotiating possible reductions in US tariffs on steel, aluminium and automobiles, the Financial Times reported.
Those discussions concern existing trade measures, while Trump's latest statement specifically linked the possibility of additional tariff penalties to Mexico's handling of migration.
Mexico is both a destination for migrants and a transit country for people travelling north from Central America towards the United States. Given the shared land border between the two countries, migration management and border security remain important issues in their bilateral relations.
Trump's threat to double tariffs has added a fresh trade dimension to the immigration dispute, potentially complicating ongoing negotiations between the two neighbouring countries.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
