The Daily Blast: Trump’s Scam on Tariffs Wrecked in Surprise Moment from Stephen Miller
Feb 6, 2025
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Adam Isacson, an expert at the Washington Office on Latin America, discusses the surprising internal concerns of Stephen Miller regarding Trump's tariff strategies on Mexico. He reveals that these tariffs threatened to hamper Mexico's actions to control migration, challenging Trump's narrative of coercion. Isacson explains Mexico's proactive measures regarding immigration, highlighting how Biden’s diplomatic efforts have reshaped U.S.-Mexico relations and undercut the previous administration's claims.
Stephen Miller's concerns about aggressive tariffs reveal that Mexico has been actively addressing migration, challenging Trump's narrative of coercion.
The Biden administration's negotiations have significantly strengthened Mexico's capacity to manage migration, reshaping U.S.-Mexico immigration dynamics.
Deep dives
Stephen Miller's Acknowledgment of Mexico's Immigration Efforts
Stephen Miller, a top advisor to former President Trump, expressed concerns about imposing aggressive tariffs on Mexico, suggesting that such actions might jeopardize Mexico's cooperation in stopping migrant flows to the U.S. This admission indicates that Mexico has been actively controlling migration, which stands in contrast to Trump's narrative of Mexico's inaction on immigration issues. Data reveals that Mexico has significantly increased the number of migrants intercepted, apprehending over 90,000 migrants monthly since early 2024, a notable rise from previous years. Miller's comments ultimately highlight the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations regarding immigration policy and challenge the narrative of a major victory for Trump's administration.
Analyzing Biden's Influence on Migration Patterns
The Biden administration's negotiations with Mexico have resulted in substantial measures to reduce migrant crossings, significantly limiting flows at the U.S.-Mexico border. While the right to asylum existed only for a limited period during Biden's presidency, Mexico's actions to enforce migration controls indicate a proactive approach rather than passive compliance. The metrics show that prior to the Biden era, the number of apprehended migrants was between 10,000 to 20,000 monthly; now, checkpoints and increased personnel have driven that number up to over 90,000. This reconfiguration of migration dynamics emphasizes the interconnectedness of U.S. and Mexican immigration policies, making it clear that many factors contribute to current migration trends.
The Risks of Tariffs on U.S.-Mexico Cooperation
The potential imposition of tariffs by Trump could lead to a deterioration of cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico, ultimately undermining efforts to control migration. Miller’s internal acknowledgment that aggressive tariffs might lead Mexico to cease its current operations to manage migrant flows reflects the fragile nature of this bilateral relationship. A significant spike in tariffs might push Mexico to abandon its mitigation strategies, impacting not only migration but also broader collaborations on issues like drug trafficking. The historical context of migration trends suggests that, regardless of tariffs, the relationship between the two countries will remain crucial in shaping future migration outcomes in North America.
Stephen Miller privately worried about imposing overly aggressive tariffs on Mexico, because it could imperil Mexico’s effort to apprehend migrants traveling north to our southern border, reports the Wall Street Journal. That revelation is more striking than you think. Understood correctly, it’s an acknowledgment that Mexico had already been cracking down on migration, due to an arrangement secured by President Biden. That badly undermines Trump’s scam that his threat of tariffs forced Mexico to do his bidding on the border. We talked to Adam Isacson, an expert on Latin America, who explains what Mexico has actually been doing on immigration, and why it undercuts Trump’s biggest claims about immigration, tariffs, Mexico, and more.