President Trump’s campaign of maximum pressure is working and if the weak-kneed GOP doesn’t bail, it will deliver spectacular results.
Make no mistake it is a high-risk move and an all-out trade war with Mexico would be a disaster, but the Mexican government is making concessions so it looks like we will reach an agreement.
To that end, the Mexican government just announced they are sending 6,000 troops to the southern border to stop or turn back any migrants trying to use Mexico to transit to America.
It is about time… From Politico: Mexico has told the United States that it plans to deploy 6,000 national guard troops near its border with Guatemala to help stem the flow of Central American migrants reaching the U.S.
“Among the points discussed, the delegation explained the operation of Mexico’s National Guard, saying its priority will be southeastern Mexico, with 6,000 guard members deployed in the region,” the Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement following two days of talks with Trump administration officials.
The Mexican delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Ambassador Martha Bárcena, met twice on Thursday with U.S. officials and more talks are scheduled Friday, the ministry said.
Still, some Mexican officials, including Agriculture and Rural Development Secretary Víctor Manuel Villalobos and Economy Secretary Graciela Márquez Colín have already returned to Mexico City.
There was no mention in the statement of whether Mexico was willing to agree to a “safe third country” agreement, which would require Central American migrants to seek asylum in Mexico if they pass through that country en route to the U.S.
The Trump administration has been pressing Mexico to commit to such a pact. Asked about the issue on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters he didn’t want to negotiate in public.
“But,” he said, ” we made it very clear that, in addition to internal enforcement, that there would have to be new understandings between the United States and Mexico.”
The Mexican government released this statement announcing the move:
The Mexican delegation met twice today with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. At the meetings, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Ambassador Martha Bárcena, who were accompanied by a team of technical experts, advanced the dialogue, in which both parties presented their points of view. Among the points discussed, the delegation explained the operation of Mexico’s National Guard, saying its priority will be southeastern Mexico, with 6,000 guard members deployed in the region.
The Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Víctor Manuel Villalobos, returned to Mexico yesterday, and Economy Secretary Graciela Márquez Colín returned today. The negotiations, which require several sessions to discuss the details of a complex binational agenda, will continue tomorrow morning.
