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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has defended the right of the US to build a wall along its southern border during his visit to Mexico, but stirred controversy after his claim of not having discussed who would pay for it was disputed by the Mexican President.
"We did discuss the wall. We didn't discuss payment of the wall. That'll be for a later date. This was a very preliminary meeting," Trump told reporters at a joint news conference with President Nieto after the meeting between the two leaders on Wednesday.
The Mexican president did not respond at that point, but later tweeted, "At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall."
Building a massive wall along the US border with Mexico and forcing the neighbouring country to pay for it has been a frequent promise during Trump's divisive election campaign.
The 70-year-old real estate baron argued that having a secure border is a sovereign right and is mutually beneficial for both countries.
"We recognise and respect the right of either country to build a physical barrier or wall on any of its borders to stop the illegal movement of people, drugs and weapons. Cooperation toward achieving the shared objective to both the United States and to Mexico," he said.
Pena Nieto, who in the past has compared Trump to Adolf Hitler, said Mexicans had been hurt by some of the Republican's comments but said he believed he now genuinely wanted to build relations.
"That there has been a misinterpretation or assertions that regrettably had hurt and has affected Mexicans and it's perception of his candidacy of which I am fully respectful," Pena Nieto said.
"Mexican people have felt hurt by the comments that have been made. But I am sure that his genuine interest is to build a relationship that will give both of our society's better welfare," he said.
Trump has said the wall could cost USD 8 billion to USD 12 billion, be made of precast concrete, and rise 35 to 40 feet, or 50 feet, or higher.
He has said the wall doesn't need to run the nearly 2,000 miles of the border, but half of that because of natural barriers.
The US-Mexico border stretches nearly 2,000 miles, more than half of it along the Colorado River and Rio Grande. As of May 2015, there was about 650 miles of vehicle and pedestrian fencing, according to a 2016 report from the US Government Accountability Office.
Trump said illegal immigration and drugs were major problems faced by both countries, which they would work towards solving together. He described illegal immigration as "a humanitarian disaster".
The billionaire from New York said during the meeting he shared his strong view that the North American Free Trade Agreement has been of far greater benefit to Mexico than to the United States. It must be improved upon to make sure that workers in both countries benefit from fair and reciprocal trade.
He also talked about the need to dismantle drug cartels and ending the movement of drugs, weapons, and funds across the border.
In his remarks, Pena Nieto said he has a clear vision with regard to border issues.
"The border must transform itself in an asset for our region. We have great advances in the last few years, working very closely with the Obama administration. And with the next administration, we must accelerate these efforts so that the Mexican/United States border is more efficient and safe," he said.
"Illegal weapons, drugs, and cash flows in both directions, have multiple negative consequences on both sides of the border. Our border must be seen as a joint opportunity. Both countries must invest more -- more infrastructure, more people, and more technology to make it more -- safer, and more efficient," Pena Nieto added.
The Mexican president agreed with Trump that every country had a natural right to protect its own borders.
"I also believe that a real collaboration effort between friends and allied is the best route to obtain this. All the while, I express this to Trump to make a better border with Mexico, and all the friends from Central America," he said.
Trump’s presence in Mexico City sparked anger and protests. Former Mexican President President Vicente Fox bluntly told the celebrity businessman that, despite Pena Nieto’s hospitality, he was not welcome.
‘We don’t like him. We don’t want him. We reject his visit,’ Fox told CNN, calling the visit a ‘political stunt’.
Meanwhile, sticking to his harsh immigration rhetoric, Donald Trump vowed ‘no amnesty’ for millions of undocumented migrants living in the US and warned that those living in the country illegally would be deported if he becomes president.
Delivering his eagerly awaited immigration policy, hours after meeting Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, Trump, articulated a strong and tough immigration policy, which is quite opposite to that of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, which is based on compassion and providing a pathway to nearly 11 million illegal immigrants.
Constructing a strong wall along its southern border, immediate deportation of criminal aliens, no amnesty for undocumented immigrants, extreme vetting along with ideological certifications for those seeking into the country and a merit-based legal entry system were some of the key parts of the 10-point immigration policy announced by Trump.
"Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation," Trump said in the highly anticipated speech in Phoenix in Arizona.
He said any person living in the country illegally who is arrested for any crime whatsoever will immediately be placed into deportation proceedings.
"We will break the cycle of amnesty and illegal immigration. There will be no amnesty. Our message to the world will be this: you cannot obtain legal status, or become a citizen of the United States, by illegally entering our country. This declaration alone will help stop the crisis of illegal crossings and illegal overstays," Trump said.
Asserting that he will reform legal immigration to serve the best interests of America and its workers, Trump said the "time has come for a new immigration commission to develop a new set of reforms to our legal immigration system in order to achieve the goals to keep immigration levels, measured by population share, within historical norms."
"The goal would be to select immigrants based on their likelihood of success in US society, and their ability to be financially self-sufficient," he said.
"We need a system that serves our needs -- remember, it’s America First, to choose immigrants based on merit, skill and proficiency and to establish new immigration controls to boost wages and to ensure that open jobs are offered to American workers first.
"We want people to come into our country, but they have to come in legally and properly-vetted, and in a manner that serves the national interest," he said.
Trump again vowed that Mexico would pay for construction of a "great border wall" between the two countries. He spoke hours after the Mexican President told him in a face-to-face meeting in Mexico City that Mexico would not pay for it.
"On day one, we will begin working on an impenetrable physical wall on the southern border. We will use the best technology, including above-and below-ground sensors, towers, aerial surveillance and manpower to supplement the wall, find and dislocate tunnels, and keep out the criminal cartels, and Mexico will pay for the wall," he said.
Noting that there are at least two million "criminal aliens" inside the country, Trump said his administration will begin moving them out day one.
"Beyond the 2 million, there are a vast number of additional criminal illegal immigrants who have fled or evaded justice. But their days on the run will soon be over. They go out, and they go out fast," he said.
Promising to end the Sanctuary Cities, Trump said he will immediately terminate Obama's two illegal executive amnesties, in which he defied federal law and the constitution to give amnesty to approximately five million illegal immigrants.
Trump said if elected, he would ask the Department of State, Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to begin a comprehensive review of these cases in order to develop a list of regions and countries from which immigration must be suspended until proven and effective vetting mechanisms can be put into place.
"Countries from which immigration will be suspended would include places like Syria and Libya. For the price of resettling 1 refugee in the United States, 12 could be resettled in a safe zone in their home region," he said.
"Another reform involves new screening tests for all applicants that include an ideological certification to make sure that those we are admitting to our country share our values and love our people," Trump said, adding that applicants will be asked for their views about honour killings, about respect for women and gays and minorities, attitudes on radical Islam, and many other topics as part of the vetting procedure.
He said that his administration, will ensure to complete the biometric entry-exit visa tracking system land, air, and sea ports.
"We will ensure that E-Verify is used to the fullest extent possible under existing law, and will work with Congress to strengthen and expand its use across the country," he said.
"For those who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and only one route: to return home and apply for re-entry under the rules of the new legal immigration system that I have outlined above.
"Those who have left to seek entry under this new system will not be awarded surplus visas, but will have to enter under the immigration caps or limits that will be established," Trump said.