Trump warns he may double tariffs on Mexican goods

US President Donald Trump warned on November 12 that the US would immediately double tariffs on Mexican goods if Mexico did not quickly stop groups of migrants heading toward the US border. In a post on Truth Social, he said several large migrant groups were forming and had begun crossing Mexico.

Trump said the Texas government, US Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been notified. He also said the US would continue tightening immigration controls. His remarks came after last week's US midterm elections, which changed the balance of power between the two parties in Congress and in some state-level offices.

About 1,500 migrants are heading toward the US, most of them from Central American countries. The group set out on November 10 from Tapachula in southern Mexico, near the Guatemalan border.

Migrants wade across a river at the US-Mexico border.（VietVance）

Fox News said on November 12 that political changes following the election could affect the implementation of some of the Trump administration's tough immigration policies. Nathan Johnson, the newly elected Texas attorney general, may stop defending the state's SB4 law. The law allows local authorities to arrest and prosecute people suspected of crossing illegally from Mexico into the US. Incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton will remain in office until his successor takes office on January 1, 2027.

The US Supreme Court is also considering whether to hear an appeal by Iowa concerning a state law that allows the arrest and prosecution of people living in the US illegally. The related litigation could also be affected if newly elected Iowa Attorney General Nate Willems decides to stop defending the law should the case proceed to a hearing.

Source: VietVance