Trump threatens to close U.S.-Mexico border

President Trump threatend to close the border if Mexico "doesn't immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States through our Southern Border..."

MARCH 29, 2019 19:20

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops in an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq December 26, 2018. (photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST) — U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops in an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq December 26, 2018.

(photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)

President Donald Trump threatened in a series of tweets to close the US-Mexico border next week if Mexico doesn't stop all illegal immigration into the US.

"If Mexico doesn't immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States through our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week," Trump wrote on Friday.

....through their country and our Southern Border. Mexico has for many years made a fortune off of the U.S., far greater than Border Costs. If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States throug our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2019

....the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week. This would be so easy for Mexico to do, but they just take our money and “talk.” Besides, we lose so much money with them, especially when you add in drug trafficking etc.), that the Border closing would be a good thing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2019

Trump also asserted that Mexico has the strongest immigration laws in the world, and that "they make more than $100 Billion a year on the U.S."

The DEMOCRATS have given us the weakest immigration laws anywhere in the World. Mexico has the strongest, & they make more than $100 Billion a year on the U.S. Therefore, CONGRESS MUST CHANGE OUR WEAK IMMIGRATION LAWS NOW, & Mexico must stop illegals from entering the U.S....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2019

It wasn't immediately clear from where Trump cited the "$100 billion" figure.

Trump has turned immigration into one of his signature issues. At the end of December he led a showdown with congressional Democrats over immigration reform, with Democrats refusing to grant the president $5.7 billion to fund a US-Mexico border wall.

The dispute led to a 35-day partial shutdown of the federal government, the longest US government shutdown on record. At its end, Trump was left without funding for the border wall.

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Reuters contributed to this report.