It isn’t a surprise to anyone that fact checks of claims made by Donald Trump turn up evidence that he’s either lied or just doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but claims that the United States government had reached a deal with the incoming government of Mexico is something he really should have been clear on before making an announcement.
Trump tweeted on Saturday that a deal had been reached with Mexico regarding a group of asylum seekers headed to the U.S. border, saying that the incoming officials agreed to host the migrants while they apply, forcing them to remain in Mexico while their cases are processed in court.
According to The Washington Post:
‘The deal was seen as a way to dissuade thousands of Central American migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S., a process that can take years. In effect, Mexican border towns are already acting as waiting rooms for migrants hoping to start new lives in the U.S. due to bottlenecks at the border.
Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court. We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain. No “Releasing” into the U.S…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018
….All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border. There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018
However, although Interior Minister Olga Sanchez had told The Post earlier in the day that an agreement had been reached, she retracted that statement later after Trump’s tweets.
‘There is no agreement of any sort between the incoming Mexican government and the U.S. government.’
Mexican government denies two Trump administration officials' claim that there is a deal to hold asylum seekers in Mexico. https://t.co/5Cw72xcXcm
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 25, 2018
It’s unclear at this point whether the deal simply fell apart or if no one was clear on what it entailed, but it seems that Trump made an announcement too soon. The deal is meant to dissuade impoverished people from fleeing their home countries and the violence they experience there, although Trump has insisted that the violence to fear is from the migrants themselves.
‘Stephanie Leutert, director of the Mexico Security Initiative at the University of Texas at Austin, described the Remain in Mexico plan as a strategy to take away the ability of migrants to live and work in the U.S. while cases are processed. “The hope is that asylum seekers will not want to live in (Mexico) for months/years and won’t come,” Leutert said via Twitter.’
Mexico has huge problems of violence, much of it directed against migrants. It is NOT a safe place to wait while the US considers asylum claims, despite whatever pressure Trump has put on Mexico to force it to agree to this dangerous and illegal fiction. https://t.co/iLrQkuu0KW
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) November 24, 2018
The group, which includes a significant number of babies and children, live in harsh conditions while waiting for the two governments to decide their fate.
‘Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum on Friday declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city of 1.6 million, which he says is struggling to accommodate the influx. Most of the migrants are camped inside a sports complex, where they face long wait times for food and bathrooms. Hundreds of Tijuana residents have protested their arrival, complaining that recent caravans forced their way into Mexico from Guatemala.’
Justice Roberts can say what he wants, but the 9th Circuit is a complete & total disaster. It is out of control, has a horrible reputation, is overturned more than any Circuit in the Country, 79%, & is used to get an almost guaranteed result. Judges must not Legislate Security…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018
….and Safety at the Border, or anywhere else. They know nothing about it and are making our Country unsafe. Our great Law Enforcement professionals MUST BE ALLOWED TO DO THEIR JOB! If not there will be only bedlam, chaos, injury and death. We want the Constitution as written!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018
According to Mexican officials, Trump’s threats to close the border is also not feasible should his plan include an opportunity for the migrants to apply for asylum at all.
‘They’re going to have to open the borders (for the migrants) to put in the request,” Vences said. “They will also give us dates, on what terms they will receive the (asylum) requests and in the case that they are not beneficiaries of this status, they will have to return here.’
Featured image via Flickr by James N. Mattis under a Creative Commons license