President-elect Donald Trump has announced a bold new diplomatic stance aimed at curbing illegal immigration and the flow of deadly drugs across U.S. borders. On Truth Social, Trump unveiled a plan to impose a 25% tariff on goods coming from both Mexico and Canada unless the two countries take immediate and decisive action to stop the ongoing inflow of migrants and illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl. This hard-hitting move marks a sharp contrast to the more lenient policies of the Biden administration.
In a series of posts, Trump asserted that both Mexico and Canada have the “absolute right and power” to tackle the issues of migration and drug trafficking. “We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price,” Trump wrote. The statement reflects his continued tough stance on border security, a defining feature of his first term, and sets the tone for his foreign policy in the upcoming administration.
Many analysts and political commentators argue that the Biden administration’s more permissive stance on immigration and border security has allowed both migrant flows and the trafficking of fentanyl—an opioid responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually in the U.S.—to spiral out of control.
Rodrigo Montes de Oca, a Mexican lawyer and policy expert at the Baker Institute Center in Texas, explained to Fox News that the Biden administration essentially “tolerated” the flow of fentanyl as long as Mexico cooperated in controlling the optics of the migrant crisis. “If [Mexico] cooperated on immigration, the Biden administration turned the other way on important issues such as security and fentanyl trafficking,” Montes de Oca said.
Similarly, Biden’s hands-off approach to the northern border with Canada has also raised concerns. While the southern border has received considerable attention, Canada’s relatively lax immigration policies have enabled significant numbers of migrants, especially from India and other countries, to enter the U.S. illegally. Critics contend that this lack of enforcement has exacerbated the strain on U.S. resources.
Under Biden’s watch, drug cartels have been allowed to continue their operations largely unchecked, with fentanyl being smuggled into the U.S. at unprecedented rates. The opioid crisis in America has reached catastrophic levels, with more than 50,000 people dying annually from fentanyl overdoses, according to CDC data. This epidemic, which is largely fueled by Mexican cartels, has devastated families across the U.S. and put an immense strain on public health resources.
Trump’s new tariff threat aims to force both Mexico and Canada into compliance by leveraging the economic power of the U.S. market. If enacted, the 25% tariff could have far-reaching consequences for trade between the U.S. and its two largest neighbors. In addition to harming Mexico’s economy—whose exports to the U.S. account for a significant portion of its GDP—such tariffs could also disrupt the integrated supply chains that are crucial to industries like automotive manufacturing, agriculture, and food production.
According to Todd Bensman, a border expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, Mexico is in a weak position to negotiate with the incoming administration.
In a separate post, Trump also turned his attention to China, threatening to impose a 10% tariff on all Chinese goods unless Beijing takes action to help curb the flow of fentanyl. Trump’s administration has long pointed to Chinese manufacturers as major suppliers of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that are trafficked into the U.S. The additional tariffs, Trump claims, would apply “above any additional tariffs” already imposed on Chinese goods, increasing the financial pressure on China to take action.
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.
