US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to visit Mexico

United States Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visits Mexico today.

She will meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Foreign Minister Juan Ramon De La Fuente. Secretary Noem’s visit comes less than a week before April 2, on which day US tariffs on Mexico are planned to take effect. Mexico is set to respond with tariffs of its own. Despite these trade tensions, the two countries have recently cooperated on security issues: Mexico has cracked down on cartels and has placed an additional 10,000 soldiers on the US border, leading to fentanyl seizures in the US decreasing by about 40%. At the start of this month, President Sheinbaum used this cooperation on border security to convince President Trump to delay tariffs on Mexico.

Mexico has an interest in doing whatever it can to gain a reprieve on potential tariffs, as it relies heavily on the US as a market for its exports. President Sheinbaum has said she would seek to hold another call with her American counterpart before the April 2 date. She will likely lean on US-Mexico border cooperation again to gain favor and may offer further concessions in this respect in exchange for leniency on tariffs. However, President Trump appears set on imposing tariffs on Mexico and other countries, so it is not certain that her strategy will succeed. While the impending tariffs loom in the background of the meetings, Secretary Noem’s visit is primarily focused on coordination of migration and security. The Sheinbaum and Trump administrations have enjoyed a warm relationship on the border and Mexico appears willing to continue cooperation with the US even if tariffs are imposed.