Border czar Tom Homan argued Monday that Mexico is, in effect, paying for the southern border wall, thanks to the actions the country has taken because of President Donald Trump.
In February, Trump announced a 25 percent additional tariff on goods coming in from Mexico that are not covered by the USMCA trade agreement to address the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs coming into the U.S.
The president said that if Mexico took action — sustained over time — to stem the flow of migrants and drugs, he would remove the tariff.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded later in the month by deploying a combined 10,000 troops to its northern and southern borders.
A reporter asked Homan and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during Monday’s media briefing to talk about the border wall. “Can you give us an update as far as how many miles are being built today, and is Mexico paying for it, as the president said they were going to?” he asked.
Leavitt responded first, saying, “Since Jan. 1, there has been more than 85 miles of new border wall construction in various stages of that construction and planning.”
[embedded content]
“The president has