INTERVIEW – MARK KRIKORIAN – Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) – analyzed the Trump administration imposing tariffs on all goods from Mexico.

• Trump ‘deadly serious’ about Mexico tariffs, Mulvaney says. President Donald Trump is “deadly serious” about his threat to impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods from Mexico over his concerns of illegal immigration, Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said Sunday. “He is absolutely, deadly serious,” Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday. “I fully expect these tariffs to go on to at least the 5 percent level on June 10.” Trump last week tweeted the United States would impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods from Mexico “until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP.” Mulvaney doubled-down on that timeline Sunday, explaining that the White House “for months” has been talking about an “emergency situation” at the U.S.-Mexico border. “The president is deadly serious about fixing the situation at the southern border,” Mulvaney said. The president tweeted last week the tariff would “gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied.” The White House later clarified the tariff would increase to 10 percent on July 1; 15 percent on Aug. 1; 20 percent on Sept. 1; and 25 percent on Oct. 1. “The reason we’re doing things people don’t expect is that we’re facing things at the border we never experienced before,” Mulvaney said on NBC. “We’re using extraordinary tools because there is extraordinary circumstances that dictate those.” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan also defended the use of tariffs to deter illegal immigration on Sunday, appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
• Reeling from tariff threat, Mexico begins immigration talks in Washington. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Fighting to stave off punitive tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, a senior Mexican delegation was set to begin high level talks on Monday in Washington, where it will be pushed to do more to hold back Central American migrants. Trump says he will apply tariffs of 5% on all Mexican goods on June 10, and increase the rate in coming months to 25% if Mexico does not substantially halt illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexican border, which is at a decade high this year. Global equities tumbled after Trump’s unexpected threat last week against the United States biggest trade partner, as investors feared his aggressive trade diplomacy could tip the United States and other major economies into recession. With just a week until the first tariffs bite, the delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard may have a hard time convincing U.S. officials that Mexico is doing enough on immigration to avoid punishment, despite having signaled in recent days it was prepared to further tighten security. The U.S.-Mexican talks begin on Monday with a meeting between Mexican Economy Secretary Graciela Marquez and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. On Wednesday, Ebrard meets U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Trump on Sunday called Mexico an “abuser” of the United States and said he wanted action, not talk. Mexico has signaled it would retaliate to the tariffs, with targets likely to include farm products on Trump supporting states.