Sheinbaum downplays migrant caravans as Trump threatens more tariffs

The Mexican president said two caravans are traversing through Mexico but that they're warned it's currently impossible for them to enter the U.S.MEXICO CITY (CN) — In her morning press conference Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum assured President Donald Trump that not one migrant caravan has reached U.S. territory since the beginning of his second presidential term.Trump threatened to double tariffs on Mexico via social media early Thursday if Mexico does not stop the caravans that are currently traveling through Mexican territory.“Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico. Many of the people in these Caravans are those that various countries don’t want — ‘Send them to America,’ they say — But they will not be accepted! MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED,” he wrote on Truth Social.Sheinbaum said there are currently two caravans, one that started in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas with around 600 people but has decreased to about a hundred, and another with mostly Hondurans. This caravan consists of around 1,500 people.U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also chimed in.“We will utilize all assets to make sure our borders are secure,” he wrote on social media Thursday. “This illegal migrant caravan will NOT be allowed to enter our country. Full stop.”On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump issued one executive order suspending U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and another that suspended the use of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CPB One app, essentially ending any possibility for refugee or asylum status for migrants who arrive to the U.S. border.Once the caravans form, the Mexican government informs the migrants that it is very difficult to reach and then enter into the U.S.“We inform people who are in the caravan that it is very difficult to move to the United States; that if their goal is to reach the United States, they will not be able to achieve it because there is no such possibility,” Sheinbaum said. “If someone wants to stay in Mexico, under certain conditions they can, but the vast majority return to their home countries once they know they won’t be able to cross the Mexican border with the United States.”She explained that Mexico’s National Migration Institute is in contact with the caravans with help from the National Guard and and also stated the migrants’ human rights are respected and she ensured there is no repression.Trump’s tariff threats come just a little more than a week after a major Democratic party win in the midterm elections, gaining majorities in both the House and Senate. Experts noted the win would not necessarily signify a major change in Trump’s stance on Mexico, specifically his immigration and trade policies.Trump has threatened Mexico with increased tariffs over immigration and security throughout his presidential term.Mexico and the U.S. are currently in a trade pact, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, in effect until at least 2036. The U.S. declined to further renew the agreement in July and will continue to review it on a yearly basis or until all three countries agree to sign an extension.Current Trump tariffs on Mexico include 25% tariffs on imported passenger vehicles and light trucks, a 50% tariff on steel, aluminum and copper and 17% tariff on tomatoes. Goods that do not meet rules-of-origin requirements under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement are also subject to 25% tariffs.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads