Spain's Pedro Sánchez was a hero of migrants. After Ceuta, he faces his biggest challenge

A migrant walks along a rocky shoreline near the border with Morocco after swimming towards Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on July 31, 2026. Jorge Guerrero/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jorge Guerrero/AFP via Getty Images SEVILLE, Spain — When Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stood in front of the media on Friday in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave bordering Morocco, he followed a routine that he has spent years perfecting: rally his supporters, then reclaim control of the narrative. By Saturday morning, the Spanish government had declared the situation under control, with the army mobilized in the region and the installation of a 500-meter floating barrier off its border with Morocco. Sánchez sent a letter to European counterparts calling some of them out for "attacking Spain." But the damage was already done: images of tens of thousands of migrants crossing into Spanish territory from Morocco went around the world, eliciting comments from anti-immigration foreign leaders. U.S. President Trump called the crossing of migrants into Ceuta a "catastrophe" and an "invasion," blaming what he called "weak" and "very liberal" laws in Spain. The U.S. State Departme...