Mexico’s president said this week that migrant caravans are no longer heading to the United States, as she responded to a renewed tariff threat issued by President-elect Donald Trump.
In a letter that she sent to Trump that was emailed to The Epoch Times by the Mexican Embassy in the United States on Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote that “migrant caravans [will] no longer arrive at the border,” adding that Mexico has taken efforts to curb the flow of drugs such as fentanyl. She read out the letter on Tuesday following warnings issued by the president-elect.
“You may not be aware that Mexico has developed a comprehensive policy to assist migrants from different parts of the world who cross our territory en route to the southern border of the United States,” she said, according to a translation provided by the embassy.
Her letter also made reference to U.S. data showing that “encounters at the Mexico–United States border have decreased” between December 2023 and November 2025, adding that many are using the CBP One app provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB)
“For these reasons, migrant caravans no longer arrive at the border,” the recently elected Mexican leader said. “Even so, it is clear that we must work together to create a new labor mobility model that is necessary for your country, as well as address the root causes that compel families to leave their homes out of necessity.
“If even a small percentage of what the United States allocates to war were instead dedicated to building peace and fostering development.”
For the federal government’s fiscal year ending Sept. 30, the Border Patrol made 1.53 million arrests of illegal immigrants after topping 2 million in each of the previous two years for the first time, according to CPB figures.
For months now, the Biden administration has promoted expanded pathways for migrants to enter the country in an effort to reduce illegal crossings. In September, the CBP allowed more than 44,600 people to enter with appointments on an online system called CBP One, bringing the total to 852,000 since it was introduced in January 2023.
But ahead of the election, the Trump campaign and top surrogates were critical of the CBP One app, claiming that it effectively allows illegal immigrants to easily be granted asylum.
“There’s an application called the CBP One app, where you can go on as an illegal migrant, apply for asylum or apply for parole, and be granted legal status at the wave of a Kamala Harris open border wand,” Trump’s running mate JD Vance said in his debate with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Oct. 1.
Days before that, Trump made a similar assertion about the app.
The Trump transition team and the president-elect have not responded to Sheinbaum’s letter as of publication time. The Epoch Times contacted the Trump team for comment on Tuesday but received no reply by publication time.
Sheinbaum’s letter was in response to a Trump social media post that warned he would quickly implement a 25 percent tariff on Mexico if it fails to curb illegal immigration. In another, Trump wrote he would impose a 25 percent tax on all products entering the country from Canada, and an additional 10 percent tariff on goods from China if the ruling Chinese Communist Party does not move to curb fentanyl production, as one of his first executive orders.
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” he wrote on Truth Social, his platform.
He said the fresh tariffs would remain “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”
“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power,”Trump wrote in the post, “and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
