Trump To Score Major Win At Southern Border Using Tariff Leverage, Report Says

Apparently buckling from threats of tariffs from President Donald Trump, Mexico is ready to offer major concessions with regard to immigration, a report from The Washington Post outlined Thursday.

Trump has harshened his tone with regard to tariffs with Mexico in past weeks. As previously reported by The Daily Wire, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that the administration is “deadly serious” about an increasing tariff on Mexican goods — starting at 5% and increasing to 25% — if the Mexican government doesn’t respond to Trump’s demands concerning illegal immigration.

“He is absolutely, deadly serious,” Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday. ”I fully expect these tariffs to go on to at least the 5 percent level on June 10.”

The pressure on Mexico is apparently working in Trump’s favor. Chief negotiators for the neighboring country are offering “a deal that would dramatically increase Mexico’s immigration enforcement efforts and give the United States far more latitude to deport Central Americans seeking asylum,” two officials relayed to the Post. According to the outlet, the sources, one from the U.S. and one from Mexico, “cautioned that the accord is not final and that President Trump might not accept it.” The Daily Caller reported on the specifics, thusly:

Mexico, according to two officials who spoke with The Post, agreed to send up to 6,000 National Guard troops to its southern border with Guatemala, a major chokepoint for Central American migrants in their northbound journey to the U.S. That move is expected to immediately yield results in squashing the number of illegal immigrants.

Additionally, Mexican negotiators are prepared to revamp their asylum rules in the region. Under the proposal, Central Americans seeking asylum would have to remain in the first country they entered after leaving their homeland. For example, Guatemalans seeking asylum in the U.S. would be deported to Mexico, the first country they crossed in their U.S.-bound journey. The U.S. would be able to deport El Salvadorian and Honduran applicants to Guatemala — the first country they presumably crossed.

“The reason we’re doing things people don’t expect is that we’re facing things at the border we never experienced before,” Mulvaney reiterated on Sunday. “We’re using extraordinary tools because there is extraordinary circumstances that dictate those.”

The tariffs would reportedly increase by 5% each month if Trump is to find Mexico’s corporation insufficient, starting at 5% on Monday and working its way to 25% by October 1.

Trump gave optimistic signaling over a potential deal with Mexico on Friday, tweeting, “If we are able to make the deal with Mexico, & there is a good chance that we will, they will begin purchasing Farm & Agricultural products at very high levels, starting immediately.”

Trump also noted: “If we are unable to make the deal, Mexico will begin paying Tariffs at the 5% level on Monday!”