Donald Trump Wins, Mexico Ensures Illegal Migrants Are Intercepted

United States Border With Mexico In Campo, US/ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Greg Bulla

JAKARTA - Mexico has confirmed that it will continue to take steps to stop migrants from reaching its northern border with the United States.

Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente stressed Mexico's handling model was successful and would remain in place, referring to data showing the number of migrants arrested by US authorities at the border has fallen 76 percent since last December.

"This is going well and we will continue this path," he said at a press conference reported by Reuters, Saturday, November 9.

Donald Trump, who won the US presidential election, once vowed to take a new crackdown on illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed she had spoken to Trump about the border in their first phone call the day before, and also mentioned a sharp decline in the number of migrant crossings.

"He raised the border issue and I told him, 'Yes, there is indeed a border issue, but there will be room to talk about it,'" Sheinbaum said.

Just as was done during his previous term as president, Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Mexican exports unless the country's government stopped migrants and illegal drugs across the common border.

Mexico relies heavily on the US market, which is the goal of about 80 percent of its exports.

Since the beginning of this year, Mexico has been secretly taking crackdown on migrants who want to enter the United States, including an increasingly developing program to transport and fly non-Mexico migrants deep into the southern region.

The crackdown followed pressure from the Joe Biden administration and is in stark contrast to the humanitarian goals declared by the Mexican government, which aims to protect migrants' human rights while creating job opportunities for those who decide to stay in Mexico.

Sheinbaum emphasized the focus of humanity.

"What we are looking for is not only the dam of migration in the southern region, but also the creation of jobs," he said, stressing the need to pay attention to the root causes of migration.

But experts and migration advocates, who consider the Mexican government's migration policy to be too harsh, fear this action will only get tougher after Trump takes office.

"With the new US government, law enforcement measures (Mexico) will be even stronger", said Jose Maria Garcia, director of a migrant shelter in the northern border town.

Darlin Castro, a Venezuelan migrant who is currently in southern Mexico, said he felt his country's migration policy was hypocritical.

"Mexico said it helps migrants, but in reality it's not like that," he said.