Trump and Mexico’s Sheinbaum discuss halt on migration and drug flow

President-elect Donald Trump announced via social media that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had agreed to halt migration through Mexico. However, Sheinbaum quickly clarified Mexico’s position on migration.

“Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately,” Trump wrote. “This will go a long way toward stopping the illegal invasion of the USA.”

Trump described his conversation with Sheinbaum as productive, also addressing drug trafficking, which was a key issue in his election campaign, particularly fentanyl.

“We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also U.S. consumption of these drugs,” Trump stated.

Shortly after Trump’s posts, President Sheinbaum provided a more detailed account of the conversation, offering a different perspective on Mexico’s approach to migration. In a statement, Sheinbaum clarified that Mexico’s strategy focuses on addressing migration within its own borders, rather than halting the movement of people entirely.

“In our conversation with President Trump, I explained to him the comprehensive strategy that Mexico has followed to address the migratory phenomenon, respecting human rights,” Sheinbaum stated. “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders, but to build bridges between governments and people.”

Sheinbaum had previously shared a statement about the discussion with Trump, saying, “I had an excellent conversation with President Trump. We discussed Mexico’s strategy regarding migration, and I explained that no caravans are arriving at the northern border because they are being addressed in Mexico.”

“We also discussed strengthening cooperation on security matters, while respecting our sovereignty, as well as the campaign we are conducting in Mexico to prevent fentanyl consumption,” Sheinbaum added.

Just days earlier, Trump announced plans to impose significant tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China. He confirmed that he would issue an Executive Order imposing a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada, along with a 10% tariff on Chinese products. Trump stated that these tariffs would remain in place until the flow of illegal immigration and drugs, including fentanyl, was stopped.