Quid pro quo… or expats beware.

Three members of the Mexican Congress have an answer to U.S. President Donald Trump’s funding plan for his wall on the southern U.S. border.

If Trump applies taxes to Mexican imports to the U.S. or to remittances sent home by Mexicans living in the U.S., the congressmen say they will introduce legislation to confiscate property owned by U.S. citizens in Mexico. A less draconian option, they say, is to attach liens to the property to repay the government for losses from the Trump taxes.

U.S. citizens — not counting U.S.-based corporations — own an estimated $20 billion in Mexican real estate.

(From Cuenca Highlife… an on-line publication specifically for expats in Ecuador, but recommended reading for those interested in expat issues in Latin America in general).

I tend to think that while there will be some overt “anti-gringoism” as a result of Trump, I’d expect official response to be more in the nature of shorter visitor visas, probably higher visa fees, and perhaps a tightening of requirements for  hiring foreign workers, as well as applying as a foreigner for some government programs like Seguro Popular and IMSS.  And more reluctance on the part of local authorities to give in to demands by foreign residents for public improvements that benefit their own neighborhoods as opposed to less serviced areas:  things like street lighting and pothole repair.

Any violence would be more likely directed at US branded properties (even if Mexican owned franchises, McDonald’s or Walmart, for example) than at individuals.  Unless they’re doing something stupid like LOUDLY praising Cheeto Benito, or being drunk and disorderly with the expectation that they are entitled to special treatment because of their nationality and racial identification.