Trump threatens to double tariffs on Mexico if it does not halt migrants

Detailed summary

WASHINGTON, Nov 12 - President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to double tariffs on Mexico if it does not stop more than a thousand migrants walking north toward the United States after last week's US election, warning that they would not be allowed to enter. Read more at straitstimes.com.

FILE PHOTO: Migrants continue their journey toward northern Mexico with the goal of reaching the United States, in Huehuetan, Chiapas, Mexico, November 11, 2026. REUTERS/Damian Sanchez/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Nov 12 - President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to double tariffs on Mexico if it does not stop more than a thousand migrants walking north toward the United States after last week's US election, warning that they would not be allowed to enter.

The group of migrants, an estimated 1,500 people mostly from Central America, set off on Tuesday from the southern city of Tapachula near the Guatemala border, hoping Democrats' victory in the US midterm election could open pathways for them to live and work in the United States.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was due to hold a news conference Thursday morning.

Trump's threat about the caravan comes as the US and Mexico negotiate a trade deal, after he chose in July to not extend the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact.

The Trump administration's tough immigration policies mostly stopped the flow of migrants to the US southern border, leaving many Mexican migrant shelters empty.

Trump was re-elected in 2024 in part over US voters' concern about the border. Since then, the president has highlighted some migrant caravans but also said in recent months the issue has become less politically potent for him and his Republican party.

"I am sure the new governor is going to want to have security at the Texas border," Trump told reporters after the November 3 midterm election, referencing the newly elected Texas governor, Democrat Gina Hinojosa.

Trump's migrant warning also comes as Trump acknowledged political backlash from his administration's deportation program through US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Straits Times. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.