Mexico May Stop Helping U.S. With Counter-Terrorism, Drug War Efforts In Response To Trump Immigration Policy

A Mexican legislative committee suggested this week that the country should stop cooperating with the United States on counter-terrorism and anti-drug-trafficking efforts as long as the Trump administration maintains its “inhumane” treatment of migrants and their families, Business Insider is reporting. However, the Trump administration rescinded the policy that prompted the proposal, so it may be moot before it’s even voted on.

Mexico’s legislature is not in session at the moment, but the Mexican Congress’ Permanent Commission, which meets while Congress is in recess, drafted a resolution that asks the legislature to “consider the possibility of withdrawing from any bilateral cooperation scheme” when it comes to counter-terrorism or drug-control efforts.

Ernesto Cordero Arroyo, a senator for the conservative National Action Party, said that Mexico cannot support a country that “systematically violates human rights and that doesn’t have respect for the life and dignity of people.”

“[The U.S.] is a partner, allied in diverse causes and a friend that doesn’t deserve a government like that of Donald Trump.”

The U.S. and Mexico have long worked together to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S., with the Mexican police and military, helping the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in attempting to dismantle powerful Mexican drug cartels.

A US Border Patrol spotlight illuminates a fearful Honduran mother and son, after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico and became lost in the woods. They were taken into custody. Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy splits families during asylum process. #Immigration #gettyimages pic.twitter.com/VbO4VUsO84

— John Moore (@jbmoorephoto) June 13, 2018

Similarly, since 2002, as the Brookings Institute reported at the time, the U.S. has devoted much of its counter-terrorism effort south of the border. Mexico and Latin America are appealing to terrorists, says the Institute, and the U.S. and Mexico work together to disrupt terrorists’ efforts there.

“Latin America affords terrorist networks promising avenues: a long, disorderly border; corrupt officials; well organized smuggling rings. Endemic official graft makes it easy to obtain travel documents. Police forces are often inefficient and corrupt.”

However, Mexico’s suggestion to stop cooperating the U.S. with these efforts may be moot: the controversial “Zero Tolerance” immigration policy, which has resulted in immigrant children being separated from their parents and housed in detention centers, and which prompted the Mexican proposal, has been rescinded. On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order eliminating the policy of separating migrants children from their parents.

Still, Cordero has other complaints against the Trump administration beyond the Zero Tolerance policy. The Mexican lawmaker says that Trump “incentivizes and defends a discourse of hate inside and outside of his country,” encourages racist groups, and stigmatizes minorities. And of course, there remains the issue of the proposed border wall, which Trump continues to insist will be paid for by Mexico – and which Mexico has vowed, repeatedly, to have no part of; as well as Trump administration tariffs on certain Mexican imports.