After wavering from his hardline stance on illegal immigration, Trump supporters feared the Republican nominee was softening on his position. The presidential candidate vowed to clear the air in his immigration speech on Wednesday, and clarify he did.
Trump resurrected his hardline approach to illegal immigration, maintaining that a wall would be built, and that Mexico would pay for it.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona, Trump said he would give illegal immigrants one route: to go home, and apply for re-entry.
The Republican nominee said the approach would send a clear message to the world: “You cannot obtain legal status or become a citizen of the United States by illegally entering our country.”
Trump added, “People will know that you can’t just smuggle in, hunker down and wait to be legalized.”
The presidential candidate said he would create a “deportation task force” that will identity criminals who may be subject to deportation. He also plans on tripling the number of federal deportation officers.
In his speech, Trump reaffirmed his plan to build what he referred to as a “great border wall” between the U.S. and Mexico.
“Mexico will pay for the wall – 100%. They don’t know it yet, but they’re going to pay for the wall.”
The Republican nominee’s speech came after a meeting with Mexican president Pena Nieto. Following the event, Nieto tweeted that the topic of the wall did come up in their conversation, and that he made it clear Mexico would not be paying for it.
