Putting Donald Trump back in the White House will result in another four years of threats and coercive measures toward Mexico.
Speaking at the end of the Republican Party convention, the presidential candidate said he could end the immigration crisis “by closing our border and finishing the wall, most of which I have already built.” (Fact check: Only 450 miles of wall are finished along the 1,250-mile border.)
Stoking up convention delegates, he spoke of “a massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease and destruction to communities all across our land.” (Fact check: There’s no evidence of an increase in crime in the United States as a result of undocumented citizens crossing the border.)
During the campaign, Trump has doubled down on his anti-immigrant stance, promising to deport thousands of migrants from “day one.” And he has repeatedly told allies about his plans to covertly send special forces to Mexico to assassinate drug kingpins, in violation of Mexican sovereignty.
During his presidency, Trump used coercive measures to persuade Mexico to hold migratory flows within its territory, threatening to impose a 25-percent tariff on all Mexican imports. Mexico responded by deploying thousands of troops and National Guard officers at its southern border to keep Central American migrants from traversing the country.
It’s a given that Trump will use Mexico as a punching bag if re-elected, since it plays perfectly with his base and reaffirms his strong leadership profile.
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