US President Donald Trump today took a strong stand against Mexico, asserting that imbalance in trade and illegal immigration cannot continue any longer.
"Mexico has taken advantage of the US for long enough. Massive trade deficits and little help on the very weak border must change, NOW!," Trump tweeted this morning.
Trump has been a fierce advocate of building a border wall with Mexico to tighten the country's immigration controls.
He believes border security is a serious national issue and the lack of it poses a substantial threat to the "sovereignty and safety" of America and its citizens.
During his campaign, Trump tapped into the immigration concerns of many Americans who worry about loss of economic opportunities and the threat of criminals and terrorists entering the country.
His call for the construction of a border wall was one of his most popular proposals and helped the billionaire tycoon to galvanise masses.
While Trump has asserted that the wall will be built from the revenue generated from Mexico, the Mexican government has refused to pay for it.
"Most illegal immigration is coming from our southern border. I've said many times that the American people will not pay for the wall. I've made that clear to the government of Mexico," Trump asserted.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto had earlier said his administration will not pay for the wall.
Trump told his Mexican counterpart yesterday that he should cancel his visit to Washington to meet him if Mexico is unwilling to pay for the massive border wall that he wants to build to stop illegal migrants from entering America.
"If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting," Trump tweeted.
"I've said time and again: Mexico won't pay for any wall," Nieto, who canceled his trip to Washington, had said in a televised address told the nation.
Sticking to his campaign promise, Trump on Wednesday ordered American officials to begin to design and construct a wall along the 3,200-kilometer US-Mexico border.
The White House has warned that it may impose a 20 per cent tax on imports from countries with a trade deficit with the US to fund the wall along the country's southern border with Mexico.
"Right now we are focused on Mexico, but I think as we look comprehensively at our trade situation and countries that we have a deficit for, this is something the president has been talking about holistically," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters.
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