Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, predicted that illegal immigration will begin to “plummet” immediately after President-elect Trump is inaugurated early next year.
Cruz made the statement during a Sunday morning appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” with host Margaret Brennan. Cruz argued that the decrease will begin in the weeks after Trump takes office, citing Trump’s plan to reinstate the “remain in Mexico” policy.
“I expect we will once again enter into ‘remain in Mexico,’ and we are going to see – I’m going to make a prediction right now: We will see the numbers plummet of illegal immigration coming into this country,” Cruz said. “Not in a year, not in six months, but in January and February, because we will have a president who will vigorously enforce the law.”
Cruz also addressed Trump’s efforts to use tariffs as leverage to encourage Mexico’s government to assist in halting border traffic. Trump spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum last month and said she proved willing to assist his administration.
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Sen. Ted Cruz praised Trump’s efforts to close the border before entering office. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
“I’ll tell you what hasn’t changed is the importance of leverage. And I got to say, you look at the threat of tariffs against Mexico and Canada. [It] immediately has produced action. We’ve seen the president of Mexico stand up and promise that she is going to work hand in hand with the President of the United States, President Trump, to secure the border,” Cruz said.
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Trump says he also had a “very productive meeting” with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited President-elect Trump at his home in Mar-a-Lago. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
Trudeau jetted into Mar-a-Lago unannounced on Friday just days after Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. Trump is threatening to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico over failures by both nations to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs from those countries into the U.S.
“We discussed many important topics that will require both countries to work together to address, like the fentanyl and drug crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of illegal immigration, fair trade deals that do not jeopardize American workers and the massive trade deficit the U.S. has with Canada,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday.
Trump has said he will use tariffs to bend allies and adversaries toward his administration’s goals. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
“I made it very clear that the United States will no longer sit idly by as our citizens become victims to the scourge of this drug epidemic, caused mainly by the drug cartels, and fentanyl pouring in from China. Too much death and hardship!”
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Trump wrote that Trudeau, who has been serving as prime minister of Canada since 2015, made a commitment to work with the U.S. to “end this terrible devastation of U.S. families.”
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report