Mexico deploys 10,000 troops to the US border

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Mexico deploys 10,000 troops to the US border

The first of 10,000 members of Mexico‘s National Guard sent to reinforce border security along the U.S.-Mexico border began arriving in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, near El Paso, Texas on Tuesday.

Mexico’s government is sending around 1,650 troops to Ciudad Juárez and sending another 1,949 to Tijuana, making them the two largest deployments of reinforcements, the Associated Press reports.

The move comes as part of a deal reached Monday between President Donald Trump and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum to stave off tariffs between the countries for 30 days.

The troops will help stem the flow of fentanyl and immigration into the United States.

The backstory:

Trump announced last week that he would impose 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% tariff on all imports from China.

Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs on Sunday on American goods.

A deal was brokered by the two presidents on Monday with Trump offering a month-long pause on tariffs in exchange for border reinforcements.

Just days after taking office, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border.

The move ordered the Secretary of Defense to send American troops to the border and ordered the completion of the border wall.

What is a tariff?

Tariffs are taxes imposed on imported goods that are paid by the importer. The purpose of a tariff is to raise the price of imported goods and services to discourage consumption and get people to purchase more local products to stimulate the nation’s economy.

The idea is to encourage more local production so that imported goods can be replaced by domestic products, raising revenue for the government.

According to a report featured in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, it is common for U.S. presidents to introduce protectionist measures — like heavy tariffs — early on in their terms.

In 2018, Trump imposed tariffs on $283 billion of US imports in 2018, with rates ranging between 10% and 50%. In response, several countries including China, Russia, Canada, Mexico and the EU all filed cases against the U.S. with the World Trade Organization. Many of those countries also retaliated with tariffs of their own.

What they’re saying:

“Mexico will reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard immediately, to stop drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, in particular fentanyl,” Sheinbaum posted on X. “The United States commits to work to stop the trafficking of high powered weapons to Mexico.”

What we don’t know:

It was not announced when the rest of Mexico’s troops would arrive along the border or where they would be stationed.

The two sides have not announced a framework that would prevent the long-term implementation of tariffs on both sides.