# Trump vs. the US Mexico Border 2: Trump's Secret Deal with Mexico (it's in his pocket!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 12, 2019, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402 "2019-06-12T02:55:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/61 "2019-06-14T14:49:45Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > But that’s so … so … _reasonable_. What’s next – one in Turkey for Syrian refugees, too? Panama for Venezuelans? Before you know it, we’ll be overrun by grateful people who want nothing more than to earn a little money and build a life for themselves. Since you’ve asked, my answer to your suggestions is yes. The US, and other stable prosperous countries, should decide how many immigrants they want to accept based on humanitarian reasons. The people most in need of humanitarian assistance are going to be refugees who’ve fled their country and moved into refugee camps. It’s pretty certain that someone who has moved into a refugee camp isn’t an economic migrant. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/62 "2019-06-14T15:12:11Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > Since you’ve asked, my answer to your suggestions is yes. The US, and other stable prosperous countries, should decide how many immigrants they want to accept based on humanitarian reasons. The people most in need of humanitarian assistance are going to be refugees who’ve fled their country and moved into refugee camps. It’s pretty certain that someone who has moved into a refugee camp isn’t an economic migrant. I’m pretty sure we’re in agreement here. (I was being snarky in the previous post.) I think it’s appalling that the current administration has slammed the door on refugees worldwide when they are and have been a vital lifeblood for our culture and our economy. Even if they (_gasp!_) look and sound different. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/63 "2019-06-14T19:58:17Z")
My point of comparison remains Uganda. Poor as they are, they’ve been able to absorb a double-digit percentage of their population in refugees, and they’re treating them as well as their own citizens. If Uganda can do that, why can’t we? Is America not as great as Uganda? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/64 "2019-06-14T20:11:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > … If Uganda can do that, why can’t we? Is America not as great as Uganda? Not yet, but MAGA isn’t complete. Few more years, we’ll be there! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/65 "2019-06-14T20:20:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > My point of comparison remains Uganda. Poor as they are, they’ve been able to absorb a double-digit percentage of their population in refugees, and they’re treating them as well as their own citizens. If Uganda can do that, why can’t we? Is America not as great as Uganda? That’s something that might get bipartisan support. Give refugees a Uganda lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/66 "2019-06-15T01:58:56Z")
…Which is still better than what we’re giving them now. And you do mean giving that to forty million refugees, right? ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/67 "2019-06-15T06:50:28Z")
Are you advocating building a Bidibidi style refugee camp near Cleveland? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/68 "2019-06-15T13:38:57Z")
Practically speaking, Cleveland probably isn’t the best place for it. Someplace with more hospitable weather, and closer to the border they’re crossing, would be easier. But if you’re asking whether I would object to having large numbers of refugees living near me, no, I would not. Heck, when I was a kid, my family hosted (as in, within our own house) a refugee family. And I still maintain that, despite being born on the other side of the world and speaking English as a second family, they’re more American than I am: They earned it, whereas I just had a lucky choice of parents. ---
**Author:** ![GuyTanzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@GuyTanzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyTanzer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/69 "2019-06-17T01:41:27Z")
“It means peace for our time.” With a tip of the bowler hat to Neville Chamberlain. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/70 "2019-06-17T13:06:12Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > This assumes that what he’s trying to do is to actually change something in the real world. His purpose, though, is just to give that appearance–to put on a show for his base. What actually happens is not important to him, as long as he can pretend that he has done something. What are you talking about? Our esteemed president has [never](https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/trump-blank-bill/) done anything like that in his life. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/71 "2019-06-18T13:24:16Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Sure it is; that’s a huge change in the status quo. And Mexico said “okay” to it. The status quo is now "Trump says “jump” and Mexico says “how high?” Prior to this the status quo was “2 nations negotiate respectfully”. > > So if you don’t see that change in the status quo, then yeah, we have nothing left to talk about. > > If you see it, but you don’t see that as stupid, if you don’t see that as enabling a bully, if you don’t see that as a serious tactical mistake in dealing with Trump, then I suppose we just disagree. Mexico has learned the North Korean Lesson: Give Trump some small meaningless concession, and he’ll act as if he’s won the Superbowl, and all his rhetoric about tariffs or sanctions will disappear like a popped soap bubble. > [@](#): > > He added that Mexico is “doing a very good job of stopping people long before they get to our Southern Border” and noted that Guatemala is “getting ready” to sign an agreement under which potential refugees would be required to apply for benefits in the country where they first land > > “Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people long before they get to our Southern Border. Guatemala is getting ready to sign a Safe-Third Agreement,” Trump added. [https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/449003-trump-says-ice-will-begin-removing-millions-of-undocumented-migrants](https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/449003-trump-says-ice-will-begin-removing-millions-of-undocumented-migrants) There’s been no time at all for Mexico to actually be doing anything differently from what was being done a week ago, but here Trump is, lavishing praise on them. Still think it was a bad idea? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402/72 "2019-06-18T13:39:16Z")
Meanwhile he’s claiming that he’s going to start deporting millions of illegal aliens starting next week. > **[Trump promises mass deportations of 'millions of illegal aliens' next week](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/18/trump-deportation-illegal-aliens-1367012)** > > The president also offered uncharacteristic praise for Mexico's efforts to stem the tide of Central American migrants surging across the southern border. Trump is a little wobbly right now, and it’s showing. He’s growing more and more desperate at the signs of slipping poll numbers for his re-election, and also by poll numbers indicating growing support for impeachment. You can tell because this is his go-to move: kicking brown people. He goes after weak and vulnerable opponents. He corners vulnerable women and sexually assaults them. He abuses vulnerable migrants. But he can’t handle it when he’s confronted with a Nancy Pelosi. He can’t handle it when faceless civil servants relentlessly and fearlessly pursue justice. He expects people to back down. When they don’t, he doesn’t know what to do. So he goes to his time-honored tradition of beating up on the vulnerable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-the-us-mexico-border-2-trumps-secret-deal-with-mexico-its-in-his-pocket/835402.md?page=3)