Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday that Mexico, Canada and China have an “opportunity” to partner with the U.S. to stem the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration.
In an interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Noem defended President Trump’s decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10 percent on Chinese exports to the U.S.
“These countries have an opportunity to get on board with the President of the United States and to partner with us to deal with illegal immigration, to take back their individuals that have been in our country illegally. We want to repatriate them home, and they can be partners,” Noem said when asked whether the U.S. was in a trade war.
“So economically, yes, they will feel pain. They will feel what these consequences are, and we’ll be able to continue to go forward with a President who’s strong, who’s putting America first,” she continued.
NBC News’s Kristen Welker noted that fentanyl is a much greater problem at the southern border than at the northern border, and much of it originates in China. Welker asked why, then, the U.S. is “punishing Canada, one of its closest allies, more than China.”
“Canada has some work to do as far as helping us secure our northern border. So, we still know we’re extremely vulnerable across that northern border, that we have people coming into our country from China, from foreign countries. We have people on the terrorist watch list that come in over our northern border. And in fact, what we have sent a message this week on is that we’re not just going to enforce our southern border. We’re going to put extra resources at that northern border as well,” Noem responded.
“So, Canada needs to come to the table, they need to work with us to make sure that not only can we be good neighbors, but that we can help each other’s economies by getting in line and making sure that our immigration policies are followed and that those that are dangerous criminals face consequences,” she continued.
“The President has been very clear from the beginning that there’s a new sheriff in town, that he’s going to make sure he’s putting Americans first, and that Canada can help us, or they can get in the way, and they will face the consequences of it.”
