The United States has refused a request by Mexico for water after supplies under a treaty reached the cutoff point for special deliveries.
Newsweek has contacted the Mexican President’s office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
It comes as Trump has taken a tough approach to Mexico. His administration reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols, which requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while their U.S. immigration cases are processed. Additionally, the administration ended “catch-and-release” practices, which previously allowed detained migrants to be released into the U.S. while awaiting immigration proceedings.
Trump has also intensified efforts to expand the border wall, adding new barriers along the southern border. Meanwhile, he has hit Mexico with new tariffs which he says are designed to reduce the flow of drugs over the border. The tariffs could push Mexico into a technical recession this year, according to analysts.
The new move by Trump opens up the possibility for a new battle between Mexico and the Trump administration over border issues.
What To Know
The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it will deny Mexico’s request for a special Colorado River water delivery to Tijuana for the first time.
Under a 1944 Treaty titled the Treaty on the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, the United States and Mexico share water from the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. Tijuana depends on the Colorado River for about 90 percent of its water.
Under the treaty, The U.S. is required to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico each year and Mexico is required to deliver an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S. annually over a five-year period.
But the treaty has come under growing strain in recent years, with Mexico falling behind on its water payments due to drought conditions in the arid north of the country.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
A post by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs on X said the request from Mexico for a special water delivery was denied because the country’s repeated shortfalls in its water deliveries under the treaty are “decimating American agriculture—particularly farmers in the Rio Grande valley.”
Mexico’s request was a non treaty request, meaning Mexico was seeking extra water beyond what is guaranteed under the treaty. Under the treaty, in times of surplus, Mexico may receive additional water, while during severe droughts, deliveries may be reduced proportionately.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Thursday that her country’s shortfalls were because “there’s been less water.”
The Colorado River, a key water source for Los Angeles and Las Vegas, has been shrinking due to drought and heavy agricultural use in the southwestern U.S, nearly half its water used for raising beef and dairy cattle.
As a result, farmers in southern Texas are increasingly worried about the future of cotton, citrus, and other crops without more consistent water deliveries from Mexico. A year ago, the last sugar mill in southern Texas shut down, operators blaming a lack of water deliveries from Mexico.
In a post on X, Texas Senator Ted Cruz praised the State Department’s water decision, stating that “Texas farmers are in crisis because of Mexico’s noncompliance.” He vowed to work with the Trump administration to pressure Mexico into fulfilling its water obligations and ensure Texas farmers receive the water they need.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins criticized Mexico on X, stating it had failed to uphold the 1944 water treaty, causing American farmers to suffer. She warned that under Trump’s administration, trading partners that don’t meet their obligations will be held accountable.
What People Are Saying
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said on X: “Mexico’s continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture—particularly farmers in the Rio Grande valley. As a result, today for the first time, the U.S. will deny Mexico’s non-treaty request for a special delivery channel for Colorado River water to be delivered to Tijuana.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz wrote on X: “Excellent. As I said yesterday, this option is absolutely what the Trump administration needs to pressure Mexico to fulfill its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. Texas farmers are in crisis because of Mexico’s noncompliance. I will work with the Trump administration to pressure Mexico into complying and to get water to Texas farmers.”
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said on X: “Mexico has failed to uphold its end of the treaty, and American farmers have suffered the consequences. Mexico was allowed to get away with it in years past—but those days are over. Under this@POTUS, any trading partner that fails to deliver will be held accountable.”
What Happens Next
Mexico has not yet responded to the Trump administration’s denial of their request.
