Following a phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Trump claimed Sheinbaum pledged to stop migrant caravans from reaching the southern U.S. border. Media on the left and right came to different conclusions.

Key Quotes: According to a translation on X, Sheinbaum said she told Trump "that caravans are not arriving at the northern border because they are being taken care of in Mexico." Trump said on Truth Social that Sheinbaum "agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border."

The Details: Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on Mexico unless it halted the flow of migrants and drugs across the border. The next day, he and Sheinbaum spoke by phone, and both leaders expressed optimism about their conversation.

For Context: As Trump prepares to take office in January, a caravan of roughly 1,500 migrants has reportedly started north through Mexico in hopes of reaching the border before Trump’s policies come into effect. Mexico has also been cracking down on migrants traversing the country since early 2024, busing them to the southern portion of the country.

How the Media Covered It: USA Today (Lean Left bias) and Snopes (Lean Left bias) fact-checked the claim, concluding that Sheinbaum did not commit to stopping the caravans following Trump’s proposed tariff. These outlets focused on Mexico’s independent efforts to curb migration to the U.S. before any concern over tariffs and homed in on critiquing Trump’s rhetoric. Outlets on the right like National Review News (Lean Right bias) suggested Trump’s framing was accurate, emphasizing his use of tariffs as leverage and crediting him with prompting Mexico’s policy shift.