Mexico Navigates Trump’s Return: Anxiety and Calls for Calm

Trump’s Return to the White House: A Stormy First Day, Mexican Reactions Range from Anger to Caution

A wave of reactions, from anger and anxiety to calls for calm, swept across Mexico the day after Donald Trump‘s inauguration as US President, with headlines such as "Trump returns to the White House with an iron fist," "Declares narcowar," "Trump closes and militarizes the border with Mexico," and " Keeps threats against Mexico," in Mexican newspapers.

Starting his administration as he promised, with a combative address and a bundle of executive orders, Trump signed the orders while delivering brief, sometimes incomplete responses to accredited journalists’ questions in an unusual press conference held in the Oval Office of the White House.

" We don’t need them. They need us more," the Republican billionaire remarked about US relations with Latin America, staying true to his disdainful style. Mexico, the neighbor and largest commercial partner of the United States, has always been in Trump’s crosshairs. Some of his measures were directly targeted at the Latin American neighbor: he designated drug cartels as terrorist groups, changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and announced several migration restriction measures.

However, there were few surprises. Some measures, like changing the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America, are purely symbolic. Others are not new or have already been implemented in his first term, such as declaring the border an emergency, as highlighted by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in her morning press conference after the inauguration.

Trump also cancelled the CBP One application, created by the previous government, which allowed migrants to schedule an appointment to request asylum from US migration authorities. All previously authorized appointments were annulled.

The measures aim to militarize the border and prevent the entry of new migrants. Sheinbaum noted that Mexico had already reduced border crossings by 78% between December 2023 and January 2025, thanks to migration containment policies. She called on her compatriots to "keep a cool head": "We are a free and independent country, we will seek coordination," she said.

Jorge Romero, president of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), demanded "a firm stand to defend sovereignty and an effective fight against organized crime" in a press conference to appease the new occupant of the White House.

Human rights organizations warn of a potential humanitarian crisis at the Mexican border due to the accumulation of deportees and asylum seekers. They also regret that the government has not allocated more budget to its migratory organizations. The director of migration in the border city of Tijuana resigned after criticizing the government’s lack of preparation and coordination for the looming crisis.

Market sentiment showed some nerves in the afternoon of the inauguration day when Trump threatened Mexico and Canada, partners of the USMCA trade agreement, with 25% tariffs starting in February. The Mexican peso depreciated slightly against the dollar after this announcement, but the Mexican stock market gained 0.52%.

"Markets had already anticipated these measures!" said economist Ramón de la Rosa of the financial group Actinver in a radio interview Tuesday. "It seems that investors consider this more of a political pressure," he added.

The designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations increases the risk of doing business in Mexico, warns Gabriela Siller, director of Economic and Financial Analysis at Banco Base. "This implies that companies found to be related to organized crime could face severe sanctions, including cases of paying ransoms and extortions," she commented in her analysis sent to financial markets Tuesday.

"The purpose of Trump’s speech was twofold," considers journalist Jorge Zepeda Patterson in his opinion column for the newspaper Milenio: To court his social base and send intimidating messages to soften his negotiating counterparts and gain an advantage even before the negotiations begin.

The ball is now in Mexico’s court, considers journalist Pascal Beltrán del Río. "We will respond to Trump, yes. But doing so by demanding that the competent authorities enforce the law and protect Mexicans, the most affected by the criminals who are plundering the country," he wrote in his editorial for the Excélsior daily.

For Mexico, the first day with Trump 2.0 brought no surprises and no total disaster, but it did herald an era of great uncertainty under a president who is temperamental and threatening.

A Glimmer of Hope Amidst the uncertainty

Trump’s return to ⁣the white House has been met with a mixture ⁢of apprehension and defiance on ⁣both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. His aggressive posture, marked by contentious ‍rhetoric and⁢ restrictive immigration policies, has ignited fears of a ⁢resurgence of the divisive and volatile relationship that characterized⁣ his first term. While ‍the headline-grabbing measures, ⁣such as the renaming of the ⁢Gulf of Mexico⁤ and the cancellation of the CBP One application, stoke ⁤anger and anxiety, it’s crucial to ⁤note that some, like ‍the border⁢ emergency declaration, are not entirely novel.

Mexican president Sheinbaum’s measured response, urging calm and emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty⁣ while seeking coordination, serves as a beacon of stability amidst the turbulence. She⁤ rightfully highlights Mexico’s pre-existing‍ efforts in curbing undocumented migration, underscoring‍ the country’s proactive approach to⁢ managing this complex issue.

The political landscape within Mexico also offers a nuanced picture. While the conservative PAN ‍demands a firmer stance,‍ Sheinbaum’s call for composure signals a commitment to diplomatic engagement and problem-solving.

The coming ⁢days and weeks will be ‍crucial⁣ in determining the trajectory of this relationship. ⁣While Trump’s rhetoric paints ⁢a picture of confrontation, Mexico’s measured ⁤response indicates a desire for pragmatic dialogue. Ultimately, ⁢finding common ground and fostering cooperation, despite the differences, will be essential to navigating the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for⁢ both nations.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has set off a wave of reactions in Mexico, ranging from unease and anger to calls for calm and strategic engagement. While many of the policies announced,such as border militarization and the declaration of cartels as terrorist organizations,echoed his previous rhetoric,the immediate market impact,though initially jittery,seems to suggest a cautious acceptance. The long-term consequences, however, are still unfolding. Mexico faces a delicate balancing act: defending its sovereignty while managing the potential economic and humanitarian fallout of Trump’s aggressive policies. The coming months will be crucial in determining the trajectory of this complex relationship, and how Mexico will navigate the storm unleashed by trump’s tumultuous return to power.