US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has insisted Mexico will pay for a border wall “100%”, in a major immigration speech.
He told a cheering crowd in Arizona that he would secure the border, and left open the possibility that millions of illegal immigrants be deported.
Hours earlier, he met the Mexican President Pena Nieto but said they did not discuss who would pay for the wall.
The president later insisted he had told Mr Trump Mexico would not pay.
There had been speculation that the Republican candidate would back off his plan to deport the estimated 11m undocumented immigrants living in the US.
In his speech in Phoenix, there were conflicting signals about this. He said their fate was not a “core issue” and that deporting “criminal aliens” would be the priority.
“We will treat everyone living or residing in our country with great dignity,” he said.
But later he struck a less forgiving note when he added: “Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation. That is what it means to have laws.”
In a fiery speech that was at odds with his softer tone in Mexico City, he said he would:
Create a “special deportation force” focused on removing immigrants arrested (not convicted) for crimes
Introduce “extreme vetting” of immigrants to make sure they adhered to American values
Protect the interests of African American and Hispanic workers who are losing out to immigrants
Clamp down on people who overstay their visas
Cut off any path to citizenship – “There will be no amnesty.”
Mr Trump said it was the right of the US to choose immigrants that “we think are the likeliest to thrive and flourish and love us”.
Elaborating on that notion, he said his “extreme vetting” would involve an ideological test for immigrants applying to live in the US.
“Applicants will be asked for their views about honour killings, about respect for women and gays and minorities, attitudes on radical Islam,” he said.
His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was accused of wanting to grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants and failing to secure the borders.
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