President Trump has maintained a hard-line stance on immigration, and it culminated this week with the President informing that he will slap a 5% tariff on all imported goods from Mexico.
The move is meant to push Mexico to restrain the flow of migrants, but it has now left many lawmakers and American citizens questioning whether it is a good move on behalf of the United States.
In response, the President is now receiving criticism from both sides of the aisle.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D), the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, commented that President Trump is “trying to solve a humanitarian situation by creating economic chaos. He doesn’t have a coherent strategy for how to deal with any of this stuff.”
Senator Chuck Grassley (R) also detailed that imposing tariffs on imported goods would be a bad move, saying that he has supported “nearly every one of President Trump’s immigration policies, but this is not one of them.”
Grassley further urged “the President to consider other options.”
However, President Trump is confident that this threat will work because Mexico has “taken advantage of the United States for decades.”
In a tweet, President Trump elaborated that “Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem.”
Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2019
The President then asserted that it’s “time for them to finally do what must be done!”
According to the President’s threat, a 5% tariff would be implemented on all imported Mexican goods starting on June 10th if the country is not able to curtail illegal migration.
The tariff would then increase to 10% on July 1st and then, on the first day of the following three months, it would be raised by an addition 5%. It would be capped at 25% until Mexico “substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory.”
