Mexico City – President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is considering adjusting certain policies in response to the anticipated challenges posed by President-elect Trump’s return to office, seeking to safeguard Mexico’s economic interests and manage immigration effectively.
Fearing that measures from the coming Trump administration might be harmful to Mexico, Sheinbaum and other officials have expressed a commitment to maintaining a positive bilateral relationship while emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty. At a recent press conference, she reassured Mexicans that there is “no reason for concern” regarding the election outcome, indicating confidence in the stability of bilateral relations. “We will work with dialogue and respect for our sovereignties,” she said.
Rodrigo Montes de Oca, a scholar at the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico, talked to Fox News Digital and said that “the bilateral relationship will no longer be reduced to a single issue but will be addressed in a broader manner.” He explained that “former President López Obrador – AMLO, was very skillful in being able to concentrate the entire bilateral relationship on a single issue: immigration.
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He continued, “If AMLO cooperated on immigration, the Biden administration turned the other way on important issues such as security and fentanyl trafficking and all the antidemocratic policies that Mexico was and is promoting. Now with the coming Trump administration, everything is going to be much more complex because they will not only focus on immigration but also on trade and security. That is why Trump went so far as to say during the campaign that if Mexico did not cooperate on these issues, he would make public the U.S. government’s intelligence information on politicians in Mexico who are related to drug cartels. The relationship is going to be approached in a more comprehensive way. I don’t see that the Mexican government is preparing for that.”
With Trump’s plans for mass deportations and more immigration controls, Mexico is expected to strengthen its immigration policies. This may involve increased enforcement at its southern border and expanded cooperation with U.S. authorities to manage migration flows effectively. Such measures aim to address U.S. concerns while upholding Mexico’s sovereignty and humanitarian commitments.
Sheinbaum has continued Mexico’s existing strategies to manage and discourage migrant caravans traveling toward the United States. These measures include the deployment of the National Guard and other security forces to intercept and disperse migrant groups at the southern border. This approach aims to prevent large caravans from forming and progressing northward.
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The Mexican government has organized flights to repatriate migrants to their countries of origin, seeking to reduce the number of individuals attempting to cross Mexico en route to the U.S. Mexico continues to work closely with U.S. authorities to manage migration flows, including accepting certain deported migrants and implementing policies to control the surge of individuals seeking entry into the United States.
Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexican exports, particularly in the automotive sector, have prompted Mexico to consider reciprocal measures. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard indicated that Mexico might impose its own tariffs on U.S. imports if such U.S. tariffs are enacted, emphasizing the potential economic repercussions for both nations.
Montes de Oca told Fox News Digital that “Mexico needs to prepare a comprehensive plan to address the current violence in the country; otherwise, it may face economic repercussions that could affect the renegotiation of the USMCA trade deal in 2026.” In response to Trump’s previous threats of military action against drug cartels, Mexico might enhance its security strategies to mitigate the risk of unilateral U.S. interventions, which the Mexican government fears.
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The president of the Mexican Senate, Gerardo Fernández Noroña, said, “Donald Trump is a difficult guy, but he does not eat fire, he knows very well the importance of the relationship with our country, he knows very well the importance of the Mexican community in the United States and that he had very important support from Mexicans during the election.” He added, “Claudia Sheinbaum has the ability, firmness, character, preparation and the popular support to get along with him correctly.”
Mexican Congressman Raúl Torres told Fox News Digital: “Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration will have to reinforce the security strategy on the southern border by deploying the National Guard and strengthening the presence of the National Migration Institute. Likewise, she must change the narrative and a new way of negotiating with the U.S. given the upcoming negotiation of the USMCA trade deal. She must put at the center an economic agenda to empower Mexicans in the United States, whose weight is increasing every day since many of them open businesses, generate jobs and voted for Donald Trump.”
Experts consider it is still early and uncertain to know the extent to which Sheinbaum’s government will be open to changing certain positions and policies to benefit the relationship with the United States. Mainly in security, they predict, since her predecessor preferred to protect criminal groups instead of fighting them. She promised continuity in everything, and security policy could be the point of most tension with the coming Trump administration.
