Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is sending 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in exchange for a one-month delay of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on her country.
Human rights groups have said that increasing military presence at the border can put migrants at risk.
There are already thousands of Mexican troops along the border with the United States as well as along Mexico’s southern border. That includes troops from the Mexican National Guard, the unit from which Sheinbaum plans to send the upcoming 10,000.
Stephanie Brewer, with the human rights advocacy group Washington Office on Latin America, said increasing ranks at the border doesn’t amount to a significant shift in policy. But further militarizing the border can put migrants in danger.
“Both the [Mexican] National Guard and Army troops have been involved in several cases over the past years of excessive use of force,” Brewer said.
In a high-profile incident last fall, Mexican soldiers killed six migrants in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, including children. In another incident last fall, Mexico’s National Guard fatally shot two Colombian migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Attempts to reach Mexico’s National Guard for comment were unsuccessful.
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“Nothing will be imposed by force,” the Mexican president told reporters, after months of concerns from communities along the Río Sonora. -
The complaints come at the same time as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum navigates delicate negotiations with the Trump administration, one analyst says. -
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins met with Mexico’s president last week to discuss the spread of the parasite. She also led a trade delegation to discuss agribusiness ahead of the 2026 review of USMCA. -
The move comes at the same time as sanctions to individuals and businesses accused of laundering money for criminal organizations. -
The casinos are located across Mexico, including the state of Sonora.
