President Trump’s unprecedented move to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, which he has claimed is necessary to push for tightening border security and stemming the flow of “illegal immigration” and fentanyl, continues to dominate headlines as they went into effect late Monday night. Trump has argued that these tariffs would pressure nations to bolster their border enforcement, even as experts warn of significant economic fallout and retaliatory actions that could hurt American consumers and industries as the tariffs signal the end of decades of nearly free trade among the three nations. The Wall Street Journal also announced this morning that Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, plans to announce retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. this Sunday, following suit with Canadian tariffs that recently went into effect as well. 

In regards to cross border immigration impacting our clients, immigration experts note that the TN visa program, which facilitates work for Canadian and Mexican professionals under the USMCA, is not expected to undergo immediate changes as a direct result of the tariffs. There is future concern that any broader renegotiation of the USMCA or shifts in U.S. immigration policy might eventually lead to more scrutiny for TN visas. In the immediate term, for now the program remains largely unaffected by the ongoing tariff disputes.