Trump Threatens to Double Tariffs on Mexico Over Migrant Caravans Heading to Texas

President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to immediately double tariffs on Mexico unless it stops migrant caravans marching through the country toward the United States, turning a group of about 1,500 migrants walking north from the Guatemalan border into the latest Trump double tariffs Mexico flashpoint. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Mexico had to act now or face a sudden doubling of the levies, and that there would be "no leniency" if the caravans kept moving.

Key Points

• President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday, November 12, 2026, to immediately double tariffs on Mexico if it does not stop migrant caravans heading for the United States.
• The group at the centre of the threat is about 1,500 migrants, mostly from Central America, who left Tapachula, near the Guatemala border, on Tuesday, November 10, heading for Texas.
• Trump said Mexico, the Texas governor, the Border Patrol and ICE had all been informed, and he called the new Texas governor "the very liberal new governor of Texas".
• The post set no deadline and did not say which tariff rates would be doubled or name the migrants' countries of origin.
• Mexico had not responded publicly by Thursday morning, and it is uncertain whether Trump can lawfully double the levies after a Supreme Court ruling this year limited his tariff powers.

What Happened

Trump issued the threat on Truth Social on Thursday morning, claiming the migrants were trying to exploit the Democrats' midterm election victory. "Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico. Many of the people in these Caravans are those that various countries don't want - 'Send them to America,' they say. But they will not be accepted!" he wrote.

The president then delivered the ultimatum in capital letters: "MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED. MEXICO, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, THE VERY LIBERAL NEW GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, OUR GREAT BORDER PATROL, & ICE, HAVE BEEN SO INFORMED. There will be no leniency!" In the same post, Trump tied the caravan to the midterm results, writing: "Here we go again! With the perceived loss by the Republicans in the Midterms - I WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT - the INVASION of our Country is taking place again." Texas recently elected Democrat Gina Hinojosa as governor. The migrants left Tapachula on Tuesday, according to Reuters, heading for Texas in the hope that the Democrats' midterm victory could open new pathways to live and work in the US.

Background: A Caravan, a Trade Deal and a Tariff Weapon

Trump has used tariffs as a pressure tool against Mexico before, threatening duties to force action on migration and drugs, and the two countries are now negotiating a trade deal after Trump chose in July not to extend the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact. A doubling of tariffs would land in the middle of those talks and hit one of the United States' largest trading partners. The caravan was already moving: US News Pulse reported on November 8 that caravans were heading for the US border, betting on a Democratic midterm win. Thursday's news is not the departure but the president's public tariff threat, with no deadline and no detail on which rates would double. The legal ground is uncertain: Bloomberg reported it is unclear whether Trump can lawfully double the levies after a Supreme Court ruling this year limited his tariff powers.

Trump's Double Tariffs Threat Against Mexico

The threat is blunt even by Trump's standards. He did not give Mexico a date to act by, did not name the tariff rates at stake, and did not say which countries the migrants come from. The vagueness is part of the pressure: by leaving the details open, the president keeps the threat hanging over every stage of the trade negotiation and every day the caravan keeps walking. About 1,500 people is a large caravan, but far smaller than past mass movements, and still a long way from the border.

Reactions: Silence From Mexico, Doubts Over the Law

Mexico had not responded publicly to the threat by Thursday morning, with President Claudia Sheinbaum due to address reporters later that day. Mexico's options are limited and all of them are costly: break up the caravan and face criticism at home, let it pass and risk a trade war, or seek a compromise that gives Trump something he can call a win. Bloomberg raised the legal question: whether the president still has the authority to raise the levies after the Supreme Court's ruling this year curbed his tariff powers. The administration has not said which authority it would rely on.

Why It Matters

The threat links two of the biggest issues in American politics — immigration and trade — and ties them to a single group of people walking through southern Mexico. If Trump follows through, American businesses that buy Mexican goods would face sharply higher costs, and consumers could see higher prices on cars, produce, electronics and other goods that cross the border every day. Mexico is one of America's top trading partners, and a doubling of tariffs would ripple through supply chains on both sides of the border. It also matters for the trade talks, where the threat hardens the US position but risks pushing Mexico to dig in. For the migrants, the stakes are more immediate: the group set out hoping that a Democratic midterm win would open new pathways to live and work in the United States.

What Happens Next

President Sheinbaum's news conference on Thursday is the first moment to watch: it will show whether Mexico plans to stop the caravan, slow it, or let it pass. A crackdown by Mexican authorities would defuse the threat quickly, while a refusal would leave Trump to decide whether to follow through on the doubling. The caravan itself will keep walking north, and its size and speed will be tracked daily. Thursday's threat will now hang over every round of the trade talks. Watch for the White House to clarify which tariff rates would double, and for the legal authority it would use, if the threat moves from a social media post to a formal order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Trump threaten to do to Mexico?

Trump threatened on Thursday, November 12, to immediately double tariffs on Mexico unless it stops migrant caravans heading for the US.

How many migrants are in the caravan?

About 1,500, mostly Central Americans, who left Tapachula near the Guatemalan border on Tuesday, November 10, for Texas.

Did Trump set a deadline for Mexico?

No — the post set no deadline and did not name which tariff rates would double.

Can Trump legally double the tariffs?

Uncertain: Bloomberg says a Supreme Court ruling this year limited Trump's tariff powers.

Has Mexico responded to the threat?

Not by Thursday morning; President Claudia Sheinbaum was due to speak later that day.

Related coverage: Migrant caravans head for US border betting on Democratic midterm win; Trump vows to keep tariffs, warns US companies face duties of up to 300%; Democrats gain trade power after midterm sweep, but tariff repeals face Trump's veto wall.