Trump’s Tariff Threats Are Working Already to Curb Illegal Immigration

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Donald Trump is already having an impact on illegal immigration, and he hasn’t even taken office yet.

His hardline rhetoric on illegal immigration and tariff threats changes are pressuring Mexico to crack down on migrant caravans heading to the U.S. with officials there scrambling to avoid economic retaliation from the president-elect.

In recent weeks, Mexico has intensified efforts to dismantle caravans of migrants making their way to the U.S. border. Migrants traveling in large groups often rely on safety in numbers, but Mexico is using a strategy of dispersing these groups throughout the country to prevent them from reaching the border.

“Faced with the prospect of massive tariffs on goods under the new administration, Mexico has been dispersing migrants throughout the country to keep them far from the U.S. border, including dropping them off at the once vibrant tourist hotspot of Acapulco, a beach resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast made famous by the jet set in the 1950s and ’60s,” reports Fox News.

These moves come as Trump repeatedly threatens to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican imports if the flow of illegal migration isn’t dramatically reduced.

Trump has made it clear that his administration plans to heavily restrict illegal crossings, end parole programs for migrants, and execute what would be the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.

“Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country. They can stop them. And we’re going to put very serious tariffs on Mexico and Canada, because Canada, they come through Canada too, and the drugs that are coming through are at record numbers, record numbers. So we’re going to make up for that by putting tariffs on Mexico and Canada, substantial tariffs,” Trump said during a press conference Tuesday.

To carry out this vision, Trump has assembled a no-nonsense team; he named South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary and former ICE Director Tom Homan as his “Border Czar.” Their mandate is clear: enforce immigration laws and secure the southern border like never before.

During the press briefing, Trump didn’t mince words, reiterating his threats of tariffs on Mexico and even Canada, which he accused of not doing enough to curb migrant flows. In a signature Trumpian move, he also suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” underscoring his America-first approach to governance.

The pressure is having immediate effects. Thousands of migrants recently departed Tapachula, a city near Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, in a last-ditch attempt to reach the U.S. before Trump’s policies take effect. But with Mexico ramping up enforcement, many face slim chances of completing their journey.

Trump’s hardline stance is already reshaping the migration landscape. By using economic leverage, he’s forcing Mexico to act even before he sets foot in the Oval Office. If his pre-inauguration impact is any indication, illegal immigration is about to face unprecedented challenges under the Trump administration.