Mexican President Reaches Agreement With Trump Administration
The relationship between the United States and Mexico just took a dramatic turn, and all eyes are on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has suddenly pivoted on her immigration policies. After weeks of intense diplomatic pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, Sheinbaum announced that Mexico is now accepting thousands of deported migrants from the United States, including a significant number of non-Mexican nationals. This decision marks a major reversal for an administration that initially resisted such measures.
In just one week, Mexico has processed over 4,000 deportees, the majority being Mexican nationals. But what’s making headlines is the new willingness to accept deportees from other countries—a stance Mexico had previously rejected. This shift isn’t happening in a vacuum.
Trump’s tough stance on immigration and his willingness to exert economic and diplomatic pressure seem to have pushed Sheinbaum to the negotiating table. Threats of a 25% tariff on Mexican goods may not have been enacted yet, but they’ve certainly cast a long shadow over U.S.-Mexico relations.
The shift comes after some diplomatic drama last week when Mexico temporarily blocked a U.S. military aircraft scheduled to deport migrants to Mexican soil. While two other U.S. Air Force planes successfully delivered deportees to Guatemala, the flight meant for Mexico was canceled, leaving questions about the growing tension between the two nations.
But by Friday, things seemed to have turned around. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated the progress on social media, noting that Mexico had accepted a record four deportation flights in a single day and reinstated key Trump-era policies like “Remain in Mexico.”
Trump’s administration wasted no time tackling the border crisis. From the moment he was sworn in, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and brought back stricter policies aimed at curbing illegal immigration.
The reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols, which require asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed, has been central to his plan. Trump has also ended policies like the CBP One app and rolled back guidelines that restricted immigration enforcement in places like schools and churches.
Sheinbaum’s reversal on deportations signals that Trump’s strategy is paying off. Mexico is stepping up, not just by accepting deportees but also by mobilizing 30,000 members of its National Guard to address border security concerns. This cooperation could be a turning point in U.S.-Mexico relations, though the strain between the two governments remains palpable.
Meanwhile, Trump hasn’t hesitated to highlight his successes. Speaking to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, he expressed optimism about Mexico’s cooperation, saying, “With Mexico, I think we are going very well.” It’s a bold statement, but the numbers seem to back him up. With over 4,000 deportations in the first week of his second term, Trump is making it clear that his immigration policies are more than just campaign rhetoric—they’re action in motion.