Citing a "crisis" along its southern border, US President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders for the construction of an "impassable" wall along the Mexican border to stop illegal migrants and speeding deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants.
"A nation without borders is not a nation. Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders, gets back its borders," Trump said yesterday as he signed two executive orders at the Department of Homeland Security.
"We are in the middle of a crisis on our southern border. The unprecedented surge of illegal migrants from Central America is harming both Mexico and the US and I believe the steps we will take starting right now will improve the safety in both of our countries, going to be very, very good for Mexico," Trump said.
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He said the two executive orders will save thousands of lives, millions of jobs, and billions and billions of dollars.
"These two orders are part of an immigration reform we outlined during the campaign. I want to emphasise that we will be working in partnership with our friends in Mexico to improve safety and economic opportunity on both sides of the border," Trump said.
Trump said he wants to build an "impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall" between the US and Mexico.
The US-Mexico border is about 3,100 km-long and traverses all sorts of terrain from empty, dusty desert to the lush and rugged surroundings of the Rio Grande.
Some 1,046 km of the border is covered already by a confused and non-continuous series of fences, concrete slabs and other structures. Trump says his wall will cover 1,600 km and natural obstacles will take care of the rest.
Reacting to Trump's moves, his Mexican counterpart, Enrique Pena Nieto condemned it, saying, his country will not pay for the building the controversial wall.
"I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us," Pena Nieto said.
"Mexico does not believe in walls. I have said it time and again: Mexico will not pay for any wall," he said, referring to Trump's vow to make the southern neighbor pay for the barrier.
"Mexico gives and demands respect as the completely sovereign nation that we are," Pena Nieto said.
However, he did not cancel his trip planned for the United States next week.
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