Pelosi Slams US-Mexico Migration Deal as Undermining US 'Preeminent Leadership Role'

Under the deal, Mexico commits itself to deploying its National Guard throughout the country and, especially, to its border with Guatemala. As part of the agreement, Washington will also deport asylum seekers back to Mexico where they will wait for adjudication. Mexico, will be obligated to provide them jobs, healthcare, and education.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed Saturday the US-Mexico migration deal announced earlier by US President Donald Trump, saying that the agreement was based on a reckless threat to our "close friend and neighbour to the south.”

"President Trump undermined America’s preeminent leadership role in the world by recklessly threatening to impose tariffs on our close friend and neighbor to the south [...] Threats and temper tantrums are no way to negotiate foreign policy", Pelsoi said in a statement, cited by Fox News.

Earlier, Pelosi stressed that Trump's approach towards Mexico was wrong and dubbed the tariff threat policy "dangerous territory".

READ MORE: Mexico Experiencing Influx of Immigrants on Southern Border - Undersecretary

"I think that this is dangerous territory. This is not a way to treat a friend. It's not a way to deal with immigration. It's not a way to meet the humanitarian needs at the border", Pelosi said during her weekly press briefing on Wednesday.

On Friday, Trump said that the United States and Mexico had reached a "signed agreement" under which Washington would suspend the introduction of trade duties while Mexico City would take strong measures to curb illegal migration at the border.

Later on Friday, the US State Department published a joint bilateral declaration on curbing illegal migration at the US-Mexican border.

Last week, Trump said Washington would impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico beginning on June 10, adding that the duties would go up to 25 percent by October unless the US southern neighbor quelled the illegal immigration crisis.

READ MORE: US Apprehended 130,000 Migrants at Southwest Border With Mexico in May - CBP

The countries subsequently engaged in talks to resolve their tensions.

Trump has for months vowed to stop the influx of illegal migrants from Central America through the Mexican border. Trump called the surge of arrivals a crisis and declared a national emergency in February to secure funds to build a border wall.

The president has said the border wall would prevent criminals and terrorists from pouring into the United States.