Mexico Must Keep Cool Head on Trump Orders, Sheinbaum Says (archive)
By: Maya Averbuch; Bloomberg Politics
Published: January 21, 2025 at 2:10 PM UTC
President Claudia Sheinbaum called on Mexicans to focus on the fine print of Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration and trade, while warning the US against intervening in her nation’s territory.
“It’s important to always keep a cool head and refer to the signed orders beyond the actual rhetoric,” Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference, before stressing that her government wants to avoid confrontation with the US. “That’s what counts before the law, strictly speaking.”
In her first statements since Trump signed numerous immigration-related orders, promised to designate Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist groups and renewed his pledge to place hefty tariffs on the country’s goods, Sheinbaum emphasized that she would defend Mexico’s “sovereignty and independence.”
She added that she was waiting for Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to begin formal talks between the two nations.
Sheinbaum, who has spoken by phone with Trump twice, did not respond directly to his renewed promise to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico as soon as Feb. 1, but said that the decree he signed includes preparation for the 2026 review of the USMCA, the North American free trade agreement.
The Mexican peso weakened as much as 1.4% before trimming losses a day after Trump’s remarks, the worst performance among emerging market currencies.
Sheinbaum has sought to avoid tariffs on all Mexican goods, which could jeopardize nearly $800 billion in annual trade between the neighboring nations and call into question the protections of the USMCA agreement, which Trump signed in 2020. Trump had said that he is considering asking Mexico and Canada to renegotiate the deal’s terms.
Migration, Cartels
Sheinbaum downplayed Trump’s executive order declaring an emergency on the border with Mexico and his plans to send armed forces to bolster security there, emphasizing that the text of the decree is very similar to the actions he took during his first term as president.
Mexico will act in a humanitarian manner but also seek to repatriate foreigners to their countries of origin if the US removes them, she said. “Remain in Mexico,” the program Trump’s government said it would reinstate, required migrants to wait for their US immigration court cases in Mexican territory.
Mexico also outlined its strategy for the deportation of its own citizens from the US, with Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez stating that there were 189 buses ready to transport them from the border to Mexican help centers and 100 available to bring them to their states of origin. De la Fuente emphasized a series of options for those detained, including an app with a panic button and access to support at consulates in the US.
Trump also said Monday that he would designate Mexican drug cartels and other groups as foreign terrorist organizations. In response, Sheinbaum said that the US could take actions that it deems necessary against criminal groups, including the cartels, in its own territory, but not within Mexico.
Analysts have said an aggressive interpretation of the law could make companies vulnerable to charges of offering material support to terrorists. It could also pave the way for US military action into Mexico, an idea Trump floated prior to starting his second term.
By: Maya Averbuch; Bloomberg Politics
Published: January 21, 2025 at 2:10 PM UTC
President Claudia Sheinbaum called on Mexicans to focus on the fine print of Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration and trade, while warning the US against intervening in her nation’s territory.
“It’s important to always keep a cool head and refer to the signed orders beyond the actual rhetoric,” Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference, before stressing that her government wants to avoid confrontation with the US. “That’s what counts before the law, strictly speaking.”
In her first statements since Trump signed numerous immigration-related orders, promised to designate Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist groups and renewed his pledge to place hefty tariffs on the country’s goods, Sheinbaum emphasized that she would defend Mexico’s “sovereignty and independence.”
She added that she was waiting for Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to begin formal talks between the two nations.
Sheinbaum, who has spoken by phone with Trump twice, did not respond directly to his renewed promise to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico as soon as Feb. 1, but said that the decree he signed includes preparation for the 2026 review of the USMCA, the North American free trade agreement.
The Mexican peso weakened as much as 1.4% before trimming losses a day after Trump’s remarks, the worst performance among emerging market currencies.
Sheinbaum has sought to avoid tariffs on all Mexican goods, which could jeopardize nearly $800 billion in annual trade between the neighboring nations and call into question the protections of the USMCA agreement, which Trump signed in 2020. Trump had said that he is considering asking Mexico and Canada to renegotiate the deal’s terms.
Migration, Cartels
Sheinbaum downplayed Trump’s executive order declaring an emergency on the border with Mexico and his plans to send armed forces to bolster security there, emphasizing that the text of the decree is very similar to the actions he took during his first term as president.
Mexico will act in a humanitarian manner but also seek to repatriate foreigners to their countries of origin if the US removes them, she said. “Remain in Mexico,” the program Trump’s government said it would reinstate, required migrants to wait for their US immigration court cases in Mexican territory.
Mexico also outlined its strategy for the deportation of its own citizens from the US, with Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez stating that there were 189 buses ready to transport them from the border to Mexican help centers and 100 available to bring them to their states of origin. De la Fuente emphasized a series of options for those detained, including an app with a panic button and access to support at consulates in the US.
Trump also said Monday that he would designate Mexican drug cartels and other groups as foreign terrorist organizations. In response, Sheinbaum said that the US could take actions that it deems necessary against criminal groups, including the cartels, in its own territory, but not within Mexico.
Analysts have said an aggressive interpretation of the law could make companies vulnerable to charges of offering material support to terrorists. It could also pave the way for US military action into Mexico, an idea Trump floated prior to starting his second term.
