President Trump announced yesterday that he would impose a 5 percent tariff on Mexico until the nation works to fix the illegal immigration surge at the U.S. border.
Trump tweeted yesterday, “On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, … ..at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.”
On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019
In a statement, the President said if Mexico does not take action to “dramatically reduce or eliminate” the number of illegal aliens entering the U.S., the tariffs would increase to 15 percent on August 1, 2019. From there, they will go up to 20 percent by September 1 and 25 percent by October 1.
“Gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illegal drugs and narcotics of all kinds are pouring across the Southern Border and directly into our communities. Thousands of innocent lives are taken every year as a result of this lawless chaos. It must end NOW!” said the President.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has expressed his support for the president’s plan, writing on Twitter “I support President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Mexico until they up their game to help us with our border disaster. The illegal flows from Central America must stop and Mexico needs to do more.”
I support President Trump's decision to impose tariffs on Mexico until they up their game to help us with our border disaster.
The illegal flows from Central America must stop and Mexico needs to do more. https://t.co/0LwjGYdN6L
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 31, 2019
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador responded to the tariffs, writing in a letter that “social issues are not resolved through taxes or coercive means.”
He also slammed Trump’s “America First” policy as a “fallacy,” writing, “With all due respect, although you have the right to express it, ‘America First’ is a fallacy because until the end of times, even beyond national borders, justice, and universal fraternity will prevail.”
