On Thursday evening, President Trump announced via tweet that beginning June 10 the United States would be slapping a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico until the crisis of illegal immigrants pouring through the western border into the US stops.
The announcement demonstrates a significant change in President Trump’s strategy towards combating the incessant influx of illegal immigrants into the United States, a change in strategy that is both positive and pragmatic.
Although President Trump and his supporters often repeat his mantra of ‘Build the wall’, the reality is that building such a barrier is a monumental task, one that is unlikely to be accomplished in Trump’s first term, if ever. The border with Mexico stretches thousands of miles, and in many areas it is physically impossibly to erect a border fence.
Even so, President Trump has pushed for funds to build the wall, going so far as to sign an executive order unilaterally allocating Department of Defense funds for that purpose. While small portions of the wall have gone up, Democrats have been largely successful in keeping Trump from building it fully. Knowing that political pressure from Democrats may keep the wall from being built, President Trump has decided to turn the tables, placing tremendous pressure by way of tariffs on Mexico to keep illegal immigrants from crossing into the United States. It is a brilliant move. 
Mexico, the United States’ southern neighbor, relies heavily on the US for legitimacy, democratically and economically. The United States has helped the Mexican government fight drug cartels who threaten to turn the country into a nation led by drug barons. Economically, the booming economy of the US under Trump provides firepower for Mexico’s own economy, which would likely falter without the benefit of US imports and business ventures. President Trump’s decision to hit Mexico with tariffs strikes them where it hurts, badly.
President Trump deserves tremendous kudos for this move. Tariffs on Mexican imports will light a fire under the seats of Mexican officials, most of whom have been complacent regarding illegal migration to the US. Mexican politicians are now faced with a dilemma: to continue providing cover to illegal migrants, or to keep the Mexican economy from suffering a severe blow.
Tactically, and politically, the move by Trump is clever and wise. Knowing that illegal immigrants cause much economic harm to the US, and recognizing that Democrats will probably be successful in blocking his border wall plans, Trump took his efforts to the next level – placing the burden on Mexico which has done nothing to mitigate the crisis.
It is moves like these, along with President Trump’s many other positive actions, politically, economically, and with regards to foreign affairs, that can and will make America great again.