US President Donald Trump today signed an executive order to allow the construction of Mexican border wall, thus fulfilling his election promise to build a physical barrier on the southern border of the country.
According to White House spokesman Sean Spicer, Trump visited the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday to approve an order in this regard. He
also signed measures to ‘create more detention space for illegal immigrants along the southern border’.
"We're going to once again prioritize the prosecution and deportation of illegal immigrants who have also otherwise violated our laws," the spokesperson said.
Building a wall on the Mexican border was one of Trump's biggest promises during his campaign. He strongly believes that doing so will put a stop to the influx of illegal immigrants coming into the US. His signature policy prescription was to build a wall across the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border between the United States and Mexico. Some of the border is already fenced, but Trump said that a wall is needed to stop illegal immigrants entering from Latin America.
In 2014, there were an estimated 5.8 million unauthorized Mexican migrants in the United States, with fewer arriving each year before that. Experts have voiced doubts about whether a wall would actually stem illegal immigration, or if it is worth the billions it is expected to cost.
47pc voters back Trump’s plan
A Morning Consult/Politico poll released today said that 47 per cent of voters support building a wall, with 45 per cent against.
Meanwhile, Trump today reiterated his promise to make Mexico pay ‘100 per cent’ for the wall.
"Ultimately it will come out of what's happening with Mexico, we are going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico," he said.
"All it is, is we will be reimbursed at a later date from whatever transaction we'll make from Mexico. I am just telling you, there will be a payment, it will be in a form, perhaps a complicated form," he added.
"What I'm doing is good for the United States, it's also going to be good for Mexico. We want to have a very stable, very solid Mexico,” he further said.
