Trump threatens to double tariffs on Mexico over migrant caravans

• US President Donald Trump threatened to double tariffs on Mexico unless it stopped migrant caravans heading towards the United States

• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum disputed Trump's claims, saying no migrant caravan had reached the US border since his return to office in January 2025

• The threat comes amid ongoing US-Mexico trade negotiations, with Trump linking additional tariffs to Mexico's handling of migration

US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to double tariffs on Mexico unless it stopped migrant caravans travelling towards the United States, escalating pressure on Mexico to tighten immigration enforcement.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that groups of migrants were forming and moving through Mexico. He warned that they would not be allowed to enter the United States and said Mexican authorities and US immigration agencies had been alerted.

“Mexico must stop them, now, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be immediately doubled,” Trump wrote.

However, Trump did not specify which tariffs would be increased, which goods would be affected or what legal authority would be used to impose the additional duties. He also did not announce a specific date for the proposed increase.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pushed back against Trump's claims, saying that no migrant caravan had reached the US border since he returned to office in January 2025, according to Mexican newspaper Diario de Yucatan.

The newspaper reported that Sheinbaum cited a group in Arriaga, in the southern state of Chiapas, whose numbers had fallen from around 500–600 people to fewer than 100. She said Mexican authorities were informing migrants about the difficulties of entering the United States and offering alternatives, including returning to their home countries or staying in Mexico under certain conditions.

Sheinbaum also said another group arriving from Honduras was receiving humanitarian assistance and information about its available options.

Trump linked the renewed movement of migrants to the political climate following the US midterm elections, although he provided no evidence to support the connection.

“Here we go again! With the perceived loss by the Republicans in the Midterms — I was not on the ballot — the invasion of our Country is taking place again,” he wrote.

The US president added that Mexico, the Texas governor, the incoming Texas governor, the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been informed of the situation.

“There will be no leniency!” he said.

The threat comes as Washington and Mexico City continue negotiations over US tariffs on steel, aluminium and automobiles, the Financial Times reported. The discussions involve existing trade measures, while Trump's latest warning specifically links the possibility of additional tariffs to Mexico's handling of migration.

Mexico remains both a destination for migrants and a major transit route for people travelling north from Central America in an attempt to reach the United States. Migration enforcement and trade restrictions have consequently remained key issues in relations between the two neighbouring countries.

With IANS inputs