Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday that he did not discuss the US administration's proposed border wall, when he spoke with President Donald Trump on Wednesday to talk about the issue of migration.

"We have not discussed that issue, in any conversation ... It was a respectful and friendly conversation," said Lopez Obrador.

Lopez Obrador had earlier said in a tweet that he held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump and discussed the issue of migration with him.

He said that the two leaders discussed the possibility of creating a joint program for development and job creation in Central America and Mexico.

Thousands of migrants are living in crowded shelters and encampments in Tijuana after travelling from Central America to escape poverty and violence. They may have to wait weeks or months to claim asylum at the US border.

Illegal immigration was a central theme of Trump's presidential bid, and he repeatedly invoked the issue ahead of the November 6 midterm elections and deployed some 5,800 US troops to the border.

Trump has reiterated his campaign promise to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, even after Mexico repeatedly rejected his demand that it pay for the multibillion-dollar project.

Lopez Obrador has pledged to discourage migration through economic development and wants the United States to contribute to a plan focused on Mexico's poorer south and Central America.

Shortly after Lopez Obrador took office on December 1, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard to discuss border issues.

(With inputs from agencies)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday that he did not discuss the US administration's proposed border wall, when he spoke with President Donald Trump on Wednesday to talk about the issue of migration.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday that he did not discuss the US administration's proposed border wall, when he spoke with President Donald Trump on Wednesday to talk about the issue of migration. "We have not discussed that issue, in any conversation ... It was a respectful and friendly conversation," said Lopez Obrador. Lopez Obrador had earlier said in a tweet that he held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump and discussed the issue of migration with him. He said that the two leaders discussed the possibility of creating a joint program for development and job creation in Central America and Mexico. Thousands of migrants are living in crowded shelters and encampments in Tijuana after travelling from Central America to escape poverty and violence. They may have to wait weeks or months to claim asylum at the US border. Illegal immigration was a central theme of Trump's presidential bid, and he repeatedly invoked the issue ahead of the November 6 midterm elections and deployed some 5,800 US troops to the border. Trump has reiterated his campaign promise to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, even after Mexico repeatedly rejected his demand that it pay for the multibillion-dollar project. Lopez Obrador has pledged to discourage migration through economic development and wants the United States to contribute to a plan focused on Mexico's poorer south and Central America. Shortly after Lopez Obrador took office on December 1, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard to discuss border issues. (With inputs from agencies)

Mexico President says did not discuss border wall with US President Trump

Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders rowed at the White House on Tuesday over the president's threat to stop funding the US government if he doesn't get money for a Mexico border wall.

"If we don't get what we want, I'll shut down the government," Trump said during a heated exchange. "I will be the one to shut it down."

He spoke at a meeting with Chuck Schumer, the senior Democrat in the Republican-dominated Senate, and Nancy Pelosi, who is likely to become speaker in the newly Democrat-controlled House in January.

Trump wants Congress to agree to $5 billion he says is needed to fund a large barrier along hundreds of miles of the US-Mexican frontier, but Democrats are willing to agree to far less, with emphasis on border security rather than an actual wall.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to shut down much of the government if Democrats do not back his plan. Swaths of federal funding will expire on December 21, forcing a partial government closing, unless a deal can be reached.

Tweeting ahead of the meeting with the opposition leaders, Trump claimed that the wall was needed to prevent "large scale crime and disease" brought by illegal immigrants.

"If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!" he tweeted.

Opponents say the wall, arguably Trump's main campaign promise in his 2016 election, is not only a waste of money but has been used by the president to whip up xenophobia.

Washington has been paralyzed by political gridlock for most of Trump's two years in office and the partisan divide is set to intensify in January when Democrats take over the majority in the lower house of Congress.

The power shift comes as Trump faces ever growing peril from criminal investigations, with talk growing of possible impeachment proceedings against the president. 
&nbsp;

Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders rowed at the White House on Tuesday over the president's threat to stop funding the US government if he doesn't get money for a Mexico border wall.

Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders rowed at the White House on Tuesday over the president's threat to stop funding the US government if he doesn't get money for a Mexico border wall. "If we don't get what we want, I'll shut down the government," Trump said during a heated exchange. "I will be the one to shut it down." He spoke at a meeting with Chuck Schumer, the senior Democrat in the Republican-dominated Senate, and Nancy Pelosi, who is likely to become speaker in the newly Democrat-controlled House in January. Trump wants Congress to agree to $5 billion he says is needed to fund a large barrier along hundreds of miles of the US-Mexican frontier, but Democrats are willing to agree to far less, with emphasis on border security rather than an actual wall. Trump has repeatedly threatened to shut down much of the government if Democrats do not back his plan. Swaths of federal funding will expire on December 21, forcing a partial government closing, unless a deal can be reached. Tweeting ahead of the meeting with the opposition leaders, Trump claimed that the wall was needed to prevent "large scale crime and disease" brought by illegal immigrants. "If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!" he tweeted. Opponents say the wall, arguably Trump's main campaign promise in his 2016 election, is not only a waste of money but has been used by the president to whip up xenophobia. Washington has been paralyzed by political gridlock for most of Trump's two years in office and the partisan divide is set to intensify in January when Democrats take over the majority in the lower house of Congress. The power shift comes as Trump faces ever growing peril from criminal investigations, with talk growing of possible impeachment proceedings against the president.

Military will build Mexico border wall if Democrats refuse: Trump

The United States said on Monday it will send over 5,200 troops to help secure the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/many-gang-members-in-caravan-headed-to-sourthern-border-it-is-an-invasion-and-our-military-is-waiting-trump-174273">border with Mexico</a>, a far larger-than-expected deployment as President Donald Trump hardens his stance on immigration ahead of November 6 mid-term elections.

The deployment will create an active-duty force comparable in size to the US military contingent in Iraq, as Trump's administration draws attention to a caravan of migrants that is trekking through Mexico toward the United States.

General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the head of US Northern Command, said 800 US troops were already en route to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-honors-migrants-at-day-of-the-dead-as-caravan-treks-north-173978">Texas border</a> and more were headed to the borders in California and Arizona.

"The president has made it clear that border security is national security," O'Shaughnessy said, as he detailed a much larger deployment than the 800 to 1,000 troops predicted by US officials last week.

O'Shaughnessy said some soldiers would be armed although it was unclear who, beyond US military police, might need those weapons. US officials have stressed that the troops would not police the border and instead carry out support roles like building tents and barricades, and flying US customs personnel to locations along the border.

Trump railed against illegal immigration to win the 2016 US presidential election and has seized on the caravan of Central American migrants at campaign rallies in the run-up to next week's vote, firing up support for his Republican Party.

Trump said the United States would build "tent cities" to house migrants seeking asylum, rather than releasing them while they await court decisions.

"We’re going to put tents up all over the place. We’re not going to build structures and spend all of this, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars - we’re going to have tents," he told Fox News in an interview.

Trump said detaining asylum seekers while their cases are being decided would discourage others from following suit.

If the Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives or the Senate, it could become much harder for Trump to pursue his policy agenda in his remaining two years in office.

According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in late September and early October, 75 per cent of Republican voters said illegal immigration is a very big problem, compared with 19 per cent of Democratic voters.

Although Trump's supporters in Congress praised the deployment of troops, the American Civil Liberties Union derided it as a political stunt.

"President Trump has chosen just before midterm elections to force the military into furthering his anti-immigrant agenda of fear and division," said Shaw Drake, policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Border Rights Center in El Paso, Texas.

Trump said on Twitter on Monday that the military would be waiting for the procession -- suggesting a far more direct role in confronting the migrants than the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-could-send-thousands-more-troops-to-us-mexico-border-official-174261"> Pentagon</a> described.

"Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border," Trump tweeted.

"Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" he added.

Trump administration officials have been discussing other options to address the caravan and a surge in border crossings, including having Trump use his authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare certain migrants ineligible for asylum for national security reasons.

Officials said no decisions had been made.

Kevin McAleenan, the US&nbsp;commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said a group of approximately 3,500 immigrants were traveling through southern Mexico with the intent of reaching the US border. A second caravan of about 3,000 people were at the Guatemala-Mexico border, McAleenan said.

At the same time, over the last three weeks, border agents have encountered nearly 1,900 people per day either crossing the border illegally or presenting themselves at ports of entry, with over half of them being children alone or parents and children traveling together, McAleenan said.

"We are already facing a border security and humanitarian crisis at our southwest border," he said.

Some migrants have abandoned the journey, deterred by the hardships or the possibility instead of making a new life in Mexico. Others joined it in southern Mexico.

Trump's decision to call in the military appears to be a departure from past practice, at least in recent years, in which such operations were carried out by National Guard forces -- largely part-time military members who are often called upon to serve in response to domestic emergencies.

There are already 2,100 US National Guard forces at the border, sent after a previous Trump request in April. The latest deployment would be in addition to those forces.

The decision to send active duty forces this time gives the Pentagon the ability to more rapidly mobilize greater capability than would be immediately available with the Guard, officials told Reuters.

But it also injects the military, which prides itself in being non-partisan, into a highly charged political issue just days ahead of an election.

The United States said on Monday it will send over 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico, a far larger-than-expected deployment as President Donald Trump hardens his stance on immigration ahead of November 6 mid-term elections.

The United States said on Monday it will send over 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico, a far larger-than-expected deployment as President Donald Trump hardens his stance on immigration ahead of November 6 mid-term elections. The deployment will create an active-duty force comparable in size to the US military contingent in Iraq, as Trump's administration draws attention to a caravan of migrants that is trekking through Mexico toward the United States. General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the head of US Northern Command, said 800 US troops were already en route to the Texas border and more were headed to the borders in California and Arizona. "The president has made it clear that border security is national security," O'Shaughnessy said, as he detailed a much larger deployment than the 800 to 1,000 troops predicted by US officials last week. O'Shaughnessy said some soldiers would be armed although it was unclear who, beyond US military police, might need those weapons. US officials have stressed that the troops would not police the border and instead carry out support roles like building tents and barricades, and flying US customs personnel to locations along the border. Trump railed against illegal immigration to win the 2016 US presidential election and has seized on the caravan of Central American migrants at campaign rallies in the run-up to next week's vote, firing up support for his Republican Party. Trump said the United States would build "tent cities" to house migrants seeking asylum, rather than releasing them while they await court decisions. "We’re going to put tents up all over the place. We’re not going to build structures and spend all of this, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars - we’re going to have tents," he told Fox News in an interview. Trump said detaining asylum seekers while their cases are being decided would discourage others from following suit. If the Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives or the Senate, it could become much harder for Trump to pursue his policy agenda in his remaining two years in office. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in late September and early October, 75 per cent of Republican voters said illegal immigration is a very big problem, compared with 19 per cent of Democratic voters. Although Trump's supporters in Congress praised the deployment of troops, the American Civil Liberties Union derided it as a political stunt. "President Trump has chosen just before midterm elections to force the military into furthering his anti-immigrant agenda of fear and division," said Shaw Drake, policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Border Rights Center in El Paso, Texas. Trump said on Twitter on Monday that the military would be waiting for the procession -- suggesting a far more direct role in confronting the migrants than the Pentagon described. "Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border," Trump tweeted. "Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" he added. Trump administration officials have been discussing other options to address the caravan and a surge in border crossings, including having Trump use his authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare certain migrants ineligible for asylum for national security reasons. Officials said no decisions had been made. Kevin McAleenan, the US commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said a group of approximately 3,500 immigrants were traveling through southern Mexico with the intent of reaching the US border. A second caravan of about 3,000 people were at the Guatemala-Mexico border, McAleenan said. At the same time, over the last three weeks, border agents have encountered nearly 1,900 people per day either crossing the border illegally or presenting themselves at ports of entry, with over half of them being children alone or parents and children traveling together, McAleenan said. "We are already facing a border security and humanitarian crisis at our southwest border," he said. Some migrants have abandoned the journey, deterred by the hardships or the possibility instead of making a new life in Mexico. Others joined it in southern Mexico. Trump's decision to call in the military appears to be a departure from past practice, at least in recent years, in which such operations were carried out by National Guard forces -- largely part-time military members who are often called upon to serve in response to domestic emergencies. There are already 2,100 US National Guard forces at the border, sent after a previous Trump request in April. The latest deployment would be in addition to those forces. The decision to send active duty forces this time gives the Pentagon the ability to more rapidly mobilize greater capability than would be immediately available with the Guard, officials told Reuters. But it also injects the military, which prides itself in being non-partisan, into a highly charged political issue just days ahead of an election.

President Trump has made it clear border security is national security: US northern command chief

President Donald Trump will unveil his second budget on Monday - seeking to make good on his promise to bolster military spending and requesting funds for infrastructure, construction of a wall along the border with Mexico and opioid treatment programs.

The budget plan, which is viewed largely as suggestions by Congress, which has the constitutional authority to decide spending levels, will likely draw criticism from conservatives who worry that Republicans are embracing deficit spending.

The proposal will include $200 billion for infrastructure spending and more than $23 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, Mick Mulvaney, who heads the administration`s budget office, said in a statement on Sunday night.

It will also provide &quot;for a robust and rebuilt national defense,&quot; he said.

But the statement added that the proposal would recommend cuts that would lower the deficit by $3 trillion over 10 years.

&quot;The budget does bend the trajectory down,&quot; Mulvaney told the &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; program earlier on Sunday. &quot;It does move us back towards balance. It does get us away from trillion-dollar deficits.&quot;

The budget request will be delivered to Congress only days after Trump signed off on a bipartisan spending agreement hammered out by lawmakers that will increase domestic spending by $300 billion over two years - including $165 billion in defense spending and $131 billion in non-military domestic spending.

The White House plans to amend its request to take into account the higher spending levels in the agreement that passed on Friday, a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget said.

Mulvaney said on Sunday all that money did not need to be spent.&nbsp;

&quot;These are spending caps,&quot; Mulvaney said. &quot;They are not spending floors. You don&rsquo;t have to spend all that.&quot;

The spending deal will add to the annual budget deficit, which will now exceed $1 trillion in 2019, said the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget watchdog group.

Trump`s previous budget was criticized for recommending cuts to spending to achieve deficit reduction that ultimately even members of his own Republican Party thought were untenable.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope the budget that we see is workable and recognizes the landscape we`re in,&quot; said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican member of the Appropriations Committee. &quot;A lot of times, what you have is a budget that even the Cabinet secretaries can`t defend.&quot;&nbsp;

Deficit debate

&quot;The president`s budget is always a list of pretty good suggestions. It`s not `the` budget,&quot; said Senate Budget Chairman Mike Enzi.&nbsp;

This year`s budget is likely to stoke debates about deficits that began when Congress passed a tax overhaul in December. The tax cuts in the legislation contained no corresponding reductions in spending and instead relied on arguments that the lower rates would stoke economic growth.

Trump`s budget will include a number of economic forecasts and is expected to rely on estimates that the economy will keep growing at a rapid pace for the foreseeable future.

Such forecasts could obscure the level of deficit spending, said Robert Greenstein, president of the progressive Center for Budget Policy and Priorities.&nbsp;

&quot;It`ll essentially be another budget gimmick, alongside rosy economic assumptions, to make the deficit smaller than it will actually be,&quot; Greenstein said.&nbsp;

The budget proposal will include two key elements - $18 billion over two years for Trump`s long-promised border wall and $200 billion in federal funds to spur $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next 10 years with state, local and private partners, Mulvaney`s statement said.

Trump promised during the 2016 campaign that Mexico would pay for the border wall, which the Mexican government has insisted it will not do.

Democrats oppose the wall, which Trump has said is aimed at keeping out illegal immigrants and drug smugglers.&nbsp;

The budget will also seek some $13 billion in new funding over the next two years to combat the opioid epidemic.

In addition, it will request $85.5 billion for veterans` health, the administration said.

President Donald Trump will unveil his second budget on Monday

President Donald Trump will unveil his second budget on Monday - seeking to make good on his promise to bolster military spending and requesting funds for infrastructure, construction of a wall along the border with Mexico and opioid treatment programs. The budget plan, which is viewed largely as suggestions by Congress, which has the constitutional authority to decide spending levels, will likely draw criticism from conservatives who worry that Republicans are embracing deficit spending. The proposal will include $200 billion for infrastructure spending and more than $23 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, Mick Mulvaney, who heads the administration`s budget office, said in a statement on Sunday night. It will also provide "for a robust and rebuilt national defense," he said. But the statement added that the proposal would recommend cuts that would lower the deficit by $3 trillion over 10 years. "The budget does bend the trajectory down," Mulvaney told the "Fox News Sunday" program earlier on Sunday. "It does move us back towards balance. It does get us away from trillion-dollar deficits." The budget request will be delivered to Congress only days after Trump signed off on a bipartisan spending agreement hammered out by lawmakers that will increase domestic spending by $300 billion over two years - including $165 billion in defense spending and $131 billion in non-military domestic spending. The White House plans to amend its request to take into account the higher spending levels in the agreement that passed on Friday, a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget said. Mulvaney said on Sunday all that money did not need to be spent. "These are spending caps," Mulvaney said. "They are not spending floors. You don’t have to spend all that." The spending deal will add to the annual budget deficit, which will now exceed $1 trillion in 2019, said the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget watchdog group. Trump`s previous budget was criticized for recommending cuts to spending to achieve deficit reduction that ultimately even members of his own Republican Party thought were untenable. "I hope the budget that we see is workable and recognizes the landscape we`re in," said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican member of the Appropriations Committee. "A lot of times, what you have is a budget that even the Cabinet secretaries can`t defend." Deficit debate "The president`s budget is always a list of pretty good suggestions. It`s not `the` budget," said Senate Budget Chairman Mike Enzi. This year`s budget is likely to stoke debates about deficits that began when Congress passed a tax overhaul in December. The tax cuts in the legislation contained no corresponding reductions in spending and instead relied on arguments that the lower rates would stoke economic growth. Trump`s budget will include a number of economic forecasts and is expected to rely on estimates that the economy will keep growing at a rapid pace for the foreseeable future. Such forecasts could obscure the level of deficit spending, said Robert Greenstein, president of the progressive Center for Budget Policy and Priorities. "It`ll essentially be another budget gimmick, alongside rosy economic assumptions, to make the deficit smaller than it will actually be," Greenstein said. The budget proposal will include two key elements - $18 billion over two years for Trump`s long-promised border wall and $200 billion in federal funds to spur $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next 10 years with state, local and private partners, Mulvaney`s statement said. Trump promised during the 2016 campaign that Mexico would pay for the border wall, which the Mexican government has insisted it will not do. Democrats oppose the wall, which Trump has said is aimed at keeping out illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. The budget will also seek some $13 billion in new funding over the next two years to combat the opioid epidemic. In addition, it will request $85.5 billion for veterans` health, the administration said.

Trump budget plan to seek funds for border wall, infrastructure, opioid treatment

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-signs-order-to-build-wall-along-mexico-border-11693" target="_blank">President Donald Trump&#39;s border&nbsp;wall&nbsp;with&nbsp;Mexico</a>&nbsp;came a&nbsp;step closer to reality on September 26 as construction and testing of prototype structures that will influence the design of the divisive project began.

&quot;Today marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the President&#39;s executive order on border security and immigration improvement,&quot; said acting chief border patrol agent Roy Villareal at the construction site.

&quot;Construction of the eight&nbsp;wall&nbsp;prototypes began today here in San Diego,&quot; he said, adding that four of the structures will be made of concrete and four others will be comprised of other materials he didn&#39;t name.

Trump has insisted&nbsp;Mexico should pay for building the&nbsp;wall, which experts said could cost about $22 billion and take more than three years to complete. With<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-border-wall-decision-hacks-off-mexicans-11700" target="_blank">&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;refusing to pay,</a> Trump has said since taking office in January that the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;will initially need US funding but that he will find a way to make&nbsp;Mexico&nbsp;ultimately pay for it.

Last month the Trump administration said it had selected four construction companies to build concrete prototypes for a&nbsp;wall, which will be&nbsp;30 feet (9 meters) tall and about 30 feet wide and will be tested in San Diego.

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-protest-against-trump-in-mexico-12325" target="_blank">Tens of thousands protest against Trump in Mexico</a>)

Villareal said the prototype phase is expected to last 30 days and that he expects protests at the site during that time.

&quot;We expect that there may be protesting and we are going to do everything to make sure that we provide that opportunity and we maintain civility and lawfulness along the border,&quot; he said.

President Donald Trump's border?wall?with?Mexico?came on step closer to reality on September 26 as construction and testing of prototype structures that will influence the design of the divisive project began

President Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico came a step closer to reality on September 26 as construction and testing of prototype structures that will influence the design of the divisive project began. "Today marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the President's executive order on border security and immigration improvement," said acting chief border patrol agent Roy Villareal at the construction site. "Construction of the eight wall prototypes began today here in San Diego," he said, adding that four of the structures will be made of concrete and four others will be comprised of other materials he didn't name. Trump has insisted Mexico should pay for building the wall, which experts said could cost about $22 billion and take more than three years to complete. With Mexico refusing to pay, Trump has said since taking office in January that the wall will initially need US funding but that he will find a way to make Mexico ultimately pay for it. Last month the Trump administration said it had selected four construction companies to build concrete prototypes for a wall, which will be 30 feet (9 meters) tall and about 30 feet wide and will be tested in San Diego. Also Read: Tens of thousands protest against Trump in Mexico) Villareal said the prototype phase is expected to last 30 days and that he expects protests at the site during that time. "We expect that there may be protesting and we are going to do everything to make sure that we provide that opportunity and we maintain civility and lawfulness along the border," he said.

Trump's Mexico border wall goes into prototype phase

US President Donald Trump said Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state.

Asked at the start of the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to cough up the cash, Trump declared: &quot;Absolutely&quot;.

But Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who took part in the meeting, said the wall issue -- as agreed -- did not come up in the actual talks, and that he and Pena Nieto did not even hear Trump&#39;s comment.

&quot;It wasn&rsquo;t part of our conversation (with Trump),&quot; he told Mexico&rsquo;s Radio Formula.

&quot;We didn&#39;t touch on that subject in our conversation, which lasted about half an hour -- partly because we have a well-known, significant difference of opinion on that,&quot; he said.

&quot;Both sides had a prior agreement that the issue would not be on the agenda. If he made that comment, he must have made it very quietly, because I didn&#39;t hear it.&quot;

Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration and the inflow of drugs -- and Mexico paying for it -- was a signature campaign pledge of Trump&#39;s in last year&#39;s election.

The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on getting it built or even on who will foot the hefty bill for the 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) barrier.

Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of a border fence.

The real battle will play out starting in October when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest.

Last month Trump suggested covering the wall with solar panels and to use the energy to cover some of the construction costs.

&quot;And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that&#39;s good. Right?&quot;, Trump told a crowd in Texas on June 22. &quot;Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!&quot;

US-Mexico relations

US-Mexican relations have meanwhile nosedived since Trump entered the White House in January.

In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump&#39;s insistence on the issue, plunging the countries&#39; relations into their biggest crisis in decades.

In addition Trump has angered Mexico with attacks on Mexican immigrants as &quot;criminals, drug dealers and rapists&quot; and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations with its southern neighbour.

Since the cancellation of the trip, the two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings between the two countries have eased the tension.

Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate.

In their Hamburg encounter Friday, before the comment about the wall, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the &quot;successful day&quot; at the G20 so far.

&quot;We&#39;re negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we&#39;ll see how it all turns out, but I think we&#39;ve made very good progress,&quot; Trump said.

Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a &quot;flowing dialogue&quot;, in particular &quot;for the security of both nations, especially for our borders.&quot;

The Mexican president noted that &quot;migration&quot; is an issue that has &quot;occupied&quot; both administrations. He added that it was a &quot;co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues.&quot;

Trump made the comments in response to a question he was asked at the start of the meeting. Nieto was sitting next to him

US President Donald Trump said Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state. Asked at the start of the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to cough up the cash, Trump declared: "Absolutely". But Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who took part in the meeting, said the wall issue -- as agreed -- did not come up in the actual talks, and that he and Pena Nieto did not even hear Trump's comment. "It wasn’t part of our conversation (with Trump)," he told Mexico’s Radio Formula. "We didn't touch on that subject in our conversation, which lasted about half an hour -- partly because we have a well-known, significant difference of opinion on that," he said. "Both sides had a prior agreement that the issue would not be on the agenda. If he made that comment, he must have made it very quietly, because I didn't hear it." Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration and the inflow of drugs -- and Mexico paying for it -- was a signature campaign pledge of Trump's in last year's election. The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on getting it built or even on who will foot the hefty bill for the 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) barrier. Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of a border fence. The real battle will play out starting in October when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest. Last month Trump suggested covering the wall with solar panels and to use the energy to cover some of the construction costs. "And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that's good. Right?", Trump told a crowd in Texas on June 22. "Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!" US-Mexico relations US-Mexican relations have meanwhile nosedived since Trump entered the White House in January. In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence on the issue, plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades. In addition Trump has angered Mexico with attacks on Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers and rapists" and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations with its southern neighbour. Since the cancellation of the trip, the two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings between the two countries have eased the tension. Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate. In their Hamburg encounter Friday, before the comment about the wall, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the "successful day" at the G20 so far. "We're negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think we've made very good progress," Trump said. Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a "flowing dialogue", in particular "for the security of both nations, especially for our borders." The Mexican president noted that "migration" is an issue that has "occupied" both administrations. He added that it was a "co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues."

G20: Trump says he 'absolutely' wants Mexico to pay for border wall in meeting with President Nieto

Musicians from both sides of the US-Mexican border, and from around the world, will come together next month in a symphonic protest over President Donald Trump&#39;s plan for a wall to restrict immigration.

The crowd-funded June 3 show, announced Monday by the Dresden Symphony Orchestra, will take place in Friendship Park, which straddles the border between the Mexican city of Tijuana and San Diego in California.

&quot;It&#39;s not the only wall in the world. The list of walls around the world is really long,&quot; said Markus Rindt, organizer of the project dubbed &quot;Tear Down This Wall!&quot;&nbsp;

But &quot;nationalism is on the rise. And the (US-Mexico) wall is on people&#39;s minds.&quot;

Rindt, 50, was just a young man when Ronald Reagan in 1987 urged the then Soviet Union to &quot;Tear Down this Wall&quot; in Berlin -- the quote that inspired his project.

This time, Rindt will try to move minds with a combo featuring four Germans, a Swede, and two Latin Americans. Representing Mexico will be performers from Tijuana. US singer Coral MacFarland from San Diego is expected, he said.

Trump made a border wall with Mexico one of his leading campaign themes, claiming criminals and drug traffickers were flooding over the southern US border, and that Mexico should pay for the new wall.

Mexico has so far steadfastly refused, and Trump has yet to secure any of the billions of dollars in congressional funding needed to start his flagship project.

(AFP)

Musicians from both sides of the US-Mexico border will play at the crowd-funded concert on June 3

Musicians from both sides of the US-Mexican border, and from around the world, will come together next month in a symphonic protest over President Donald Trump's plan for a wall to restrict immigration. The crowd-funded June 3 show, announced Monday by the Dresden Symphony Orchestra, will take place in Friendship Park, which straddles the border between the Mexican city of Tijuana and San Diego in California. "It's not the only wall in the world. The list of walls around the world is really long," said Markus Rindt, organizer of the project dubbed "Tear Down This Wall!" But "nationalism is on the rise. And the (US-Mexico) wall is on people's minds." Rindt, 50, was just a young man when Ronald Reagan in 1987 urged the then Soviet Union to "Tear Down this Wall" in Berlin -- the quote that inspired his project. This time, Rindt will try to move minds with a combo featuring four Germans, a Swede, and two Latin Americans. Representing Mexico will be performers from Tijuana. US singer Coral MacFarland from San Diego is expected, he said. Trump made a border wall with Mexico one of his leading campaign themes, claiming criminals and drug traffickers were flooding over the southern US border, and that Mexico should pay for the new wall. Mexico has so far steadfastly refused, and Trump has yet to secure any of the billions of dollars in congressional funding needed to start his flagship project. (AFP)

'Tear Down this Wall!' border concert to defy Trump

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he expected Mexico to pay for the wall he has promised to build along the southern border, resuscitating a campaign promise that roiled U.S. relations with Mexico in the first week of his presidency.

&quot;Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,&quot; Trump said in a Twitter post.

Trump returned to his Mexico demand on a morning in which he simultaneously tried to pressure congressional Democrats to include funding for the border wall in must-pass spending legislation needed to keep the U.S. government open beyond Friday.

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<h5>Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,&#39; Trump tweeted</h5>
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In Mexico City, a spokesman for the foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Trump&#39;s wall payment comment.

The Republican president&#39;s demand that Mexico pay for the border wall triggered a diplomatic crisis with the southern U.S. neighbor during the first week of his presidency. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 26 scrapped a planned trip to meet with Trump and the White House floated the idea of a 20 percent tax on goods from Mexico to pay for the wall.

The two leaders agreed the following day not to talk publicly about payment for the wall, the Mexican government said. The White House said the two recognized they had differences over the proposed wall but agreed to &quot;work these differences out.&quot;

Trump sought the wall, projected to cost more than $20 billion, as part of his effort to curb illegal immigration. Mexico has rejected payment for the construction project as out of the question.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot; on Sunday the wall would get paid for one way or another.

&quot;I don&#39;t expect the Mexican government to appropriate money for it but there are ways that we can deal with our trade situation to create the revenue to pay for it, no doubt about it,&quot; Sessions said.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Mexico has earlier said paying is out of the question

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he expected Mexico to pay for the wall he has promised to build along the southern border, resuscitating a campaign promise that roiled U.S. relations with Mexico in the first week of his presidency. "Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall," Trump said in a Twitter post. Trump returned to his Mexico demand on a morning in which he simultaneously tried to pressure congressional Democrats to include funding for the border wall in must-pass spending legislation needed to keep the U.S. government open beyond Friday. Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,' Trump tweeted × In Mexico City, a spokesman for the foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Trump's wall payment comment. The Republican president's demand that Mexico pay for the border wall triggered a diplomatic crisis with the southern U.S. neighbor during the first week of his presidency. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 26 scrapped a planned trip to meet with Trump and the White House floated the idea of a 20 percent tax on goods from Mexico to pay for the wall. The two leaders agreed the following day not to talk publicly about payment for the wall, the Mexican government said. The White House said the two recognized they had differences over the proposed wall but agreed to "work these differences out." Trump sought the wall, projected to cost more than $20 billion, as part of his effort to curb illegal immigration. Mexico has rejected payment for the construction project as out of the question. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday the wall would get paid for one way or another. "I don't expect the Mexican government to appropriate money for it but there are ways that we can deal with our trade situation to create the revenue to pay for it, no doubt about it," Sessions said. (Reuters)

Trump says Mexico 'eventually' will pay for border wall

Mexican presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday against US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s planned border wall and his administration&#39;s treatment of immigrants.

Lopez Obrador, a fiery leftist who has led recent polls for the 2018 election, said he expects the commission to &quot;speak out in accordance with the law to protect immigrants from the harassment they are suffering since Trump took office.&quot;

Trump has ordered a wall built along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200-km) U.S.-Mexico border, has moved to strip federal funding from &quot;sanctuary&quot; states and cities harboring illegal immigrants, and expanded the force of U.S. immigration agents.

During his election campaign, Trump described Mexican illegal immigrants as rapists and criminals and insisted that Mexico would pay for the wall. That caused simmering diplomatic tension and angered everyday citizens south of the border.

Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor and two-time runner-up for the presidency, said he hoped the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights would view Trump&#39;s moves as a &quot;violation of human rights and discriminatory.&quot;

The commission, an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights in the American hemisphere.

(Reuters)

Lopez Obrador, who has led recent polls for the 2018 election, filed his complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Mexican presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday against US President Donald Trump's planned border wall and his administration's treatment of immigrants. Lopez Obrador, a fiery leftist who has led recent polls for the 2018 election, said he expects the commission to "speak out in accordance with the law to protect immigrants from the harassment they are suffering since Trump took office." Trump has ordered a wall built along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200-km) U.S.-Mexico border, has moved to strip federal funding from "sanctuary" states and cities harboring illegal immigrants, and expanded the force of U.S. immigration agents. During his election campaign, Trump described Mexican illegal immigrants as rapists and criminals and insisted that Mexico would pay for the wall. That caused simmering diplomatic tension and angered everyday citizens south of the border. Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor and two-time runner-up for the presidency, said he hoped the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights would view Trump's moves as a "violation of human rights and discriminatory." The commission, an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights in the American hemisphere. (Reuters)

Mexico presidential hopeful files complaint against Trump wall

Tens of thousands of Mexicans protested Sunday against US President Donald Trump, hitting back at his anti-Mexican rhetoric and his pledges to make their country pay for his &quot;big, beautiful&quot; border wall.

&quot;Mexico must be respected, Mr Trump,&quot; said a giant banner carried by protesters in Mexico City, who waved a sea of red, white and green Mexican flags as they marched down the capital&#39;s main avenue under the watchful eyes of thousands of police.

Protester Julieta Rosas was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Trump sporting an Adolf Hitler mustache.

&quot;We&#39;re here to make Trump see and feel that an entire country, united, is rising up against him and his xenophobic, discriminatory and fascist stupidity,&quot; said Rosas, a literature student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

In what looked set to be Mexico&#39;s biggest anti-Trump protest yet, some 20 cities joined the call to march made by a group of dozens of universities, business associations and civic organizations.

There were 20,000 demonstrators in Mexico City, according to local authorities. Marches in Guadalajara, Monterrey and Morelia also drew thousands of people -- though a planned protest in the border city of Tijuana fell flat.

US-Mexican relations have plunged to their lowest point in decades since Trump took office on January 20.

Trump, who launched his presidential campaign calling Mexican immigrants &quot;criminals&quot; and &quot;rapists,&quot; has infuriated the United States&#39; southern neighbor with his plan to stop illegal migration by building a wall on the border.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto canceled a January 31 trip to Washington over Trump&#39;s insistence that Mexico pay for the wall.

&quot;This is a time to build bridges, not walls,&quot; said 73-year-old protester Jose Antonio Sanchez, who was marching in Mexico City with his nine-year-old granddaughter.

American protester Erick Smith, who is married to a Mexican woman, marched with a sign reading &quot;Sorry Mexico.&quot;

&quot;I came to say that I&#39;m ashamed of my president,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;I don&#39;t want this wall.&quot;

Trump has also wrought havoc on the Mexican economy with his threats to terminate the country&#39;s privileged trade relationship with the United States, blaming Mexico for the loss of American jobs.

The Mexican peso has taken a beating nearly every time Trump has insisted he will renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), attacked car-makers and other companies that manufacture in Mexico, or vowed to slap steep tariffs on Mexican-made goods.

Mexico sends 80 per cent of its exports to the United States -- nearly $300 billion in goods in 2015.

New nationalism

The confrontation has stoked patriotic pride in Mexico, where US companies like Starbucks, Coca-Cola and McDonald&#39;s are the targets of boycotts. Many people have taken to putting the Mexican flag in their profile pictures on social media.

Not everyone is on board with Sunday&#39;s protests, however.

Some accused Pena Nieto of using them to try to bolster his own popularity -- which has taken a beating over perceptions that he has been too conciliatory toward a bullying neighbor.

The hashtag &quot;#It&#39;sNotTrumpIt&#39;sPena&quot; is trending on Twitter in Mexico.

The new nationalism appears to be giving a boost to Mexican presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whom some political analysts call a &quot;leftist Donald Trump&quot; for his populist, anti-establishment rhetoric.

Lopez Obrador -- widely known by his initials, AMLO -- was the runner-up in the past two presidential elections.

He is leading in opinion polls for presidential elections in 2018 and appears to be benefiting from Trump&#39;s anti-Mexican vitriol, which has badly dented not only Pena Nieto -- who is ineligible for re-election -- but also the ruling PRI party.

Ironically, a Lopez Obrador victory next year could work to Trump&#39;s disadvantage, giving him a far more hardline counterpart to work with.

As Sunday&#39;s protests unfolded in Mexico, Lopez Obrador was visiting the United States to address both Mexicans and Americans in Los Angeles about what he called Trump&#39;s &quot;poisonous&quot; rhetoric.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Protesters called Trump's plans of building a border wall to stop illegal migration xenophobic and discriminatory

Tens of thousands of Mexicans protested Sunday against US President Donald Trump, hitting back at his anti-Mexican rhetoric and his pledges to make their country pay for his "big, beautiful" border wall. "Mexico must be respected, Mr Trump," said a giant banner carried by protesters in Mexico City, who waved a sea of red, white and green Mexican flags as they marched down the capital's main avenue under the watchful eyes of thousands of police. Protester Julieta Rosas was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Trump sporting an Adolf Hitler mustache. "We're here to make Trump see and feel that an entire country, united, is rising up against him and his xenophobic, discriminatory and fascist stupidity," said Rosas, a literature student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In what looked set to be Mexico's biggest anti-Trump protest yet, some 20 cities joined the call to march made by a group of dozens of universities, business associations and civic organizations. There were 20,000 demonstrators in Mexico City, according to local authorities. Marches in Guadalajara, Monterrey and Morelia also drew thousands of people -- though a planned protest in the border city of Tijuana fell flat. US-Mexican relations have plunged to their lowest point in decades since Trump took office on January 20. Trump, who launched his presidential campaign calling Mexican immigrants "criminals" and "rapists," has infuriated the United States' southern neighbor with his plan to stop illegal migration by building a wall on the border. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto canceled a January 31 trip to Washington over Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall. "This is a time to build bridges, not walls," said 73-year-old protester Jose Antonio Sanchez, who was marching in Mexico City with his nine-year-old granddaughter. American protester Erick Smith, who is married to a Mexican woman, marched with a sign reading "Sorry Mexico." "I came to say that I'm ashamed of my president," he told AFP. "I don't want this wall." Trump has also wrought havoc on the Mexican economy with his threats to terminate the country's privileged trade relationship with the United States, blaming Mexico for the loss of American jobs. The Mexican peso has taken a beating nearly every time Trump has insisted he will renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), attacked car-makers and other companies that manufacture in Mexico, or vowed to slap steep tariffs on Mexican-made goods. Mexico sends 80 per cent of its exports to the United States -- nearly $300 billion in goods in 2015. New nationalism The confrontation has stoked patriotic pride in Mexico, where US companies like Starbucks, Coca-Cola and McDonald's are the targets of boycotts. Many people have taken to putting the Mexican flag in their profile pictures on social media. Not everyone is on board with Sunday's protests, however. Some accused Pena Nieto of using them to try to bolster his own popularity -- which has taken a beating over perceptions that he has been too conciliatory toward a bullying neighbor. The hashtag "#It'sNotTrumpIt'sPena" is trending on Twitter in Mexico. The new nationalism appears to be giving a boost to Mexican presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whom some political analysts call a "leftist Donald Trump" for his populist, anti-establishment rhetoric. Lopez Obrador -- widely known by his initials, AMLO -- was the runner-up in the past two presidential elections. He is leading in opinion polls for presidential elections in 2018 and appears to be benefiting from Trump's anti-Mexican vitriol, which has badly dented not only Pena Nieto -- who is ineligible for re-election -- but also the ruling PRI party. Ironically, a Lopez Obrador victory next year could work to Trump's disadvantage, giving him a far more hardline counterpart to work with. As Sunday's protests unfolded in Mexico, Lopez Obrador was visiting the United States to address both Mexicans and Americans in Los Angeles about what he called Trump's "poisonous" rhetoric. (AFP)

Tens of thousands protest against Trump in Mexico

Mexican opposition figures urged President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday to cancel next week&#39;s meeting with US President Donald Trump to protest his wall while everyday Mexicans voiced concern about tighter border security.

&quot;The announcement of @realDonaldTrump&#39;s wall before the visit of @EPN (Pena Nieto) is an affront to Mexico,&quot; Margarita Zavala, a potential 2018 presidential candidate of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), wrote on Twitter.

&quot;The visit must be reconsidered,&quot; Zavala said hours before Trump&#39;s announcement, adding in Spanish a hashtag that translates to &quot;no to the wall&quot;.

Making good on a campaign promise, Trump ordered work to begin on designing and building the wall as Mexico&#39;s foreign and economy ministers were in Washington to prepare Pena Nieto&#39;s own visit on January 31. Their meetings continue on Thursday.

The US leader repeated his vow to make Mexico reimburse the cost of building the massive barrier across the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometre) stretch.

Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo warned on Tuesday that Mexico could pull out of negotiations with the Trump administration if it insists on making his government pay for the wall, including by tapping remittances that migrants send home.

Pena Nieto&#39;s spokesman, Eduardo Sanchez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The last time Pena Nieto met with Trump, things did not go well for the Mexican leader.

Pena Nieto came under massive criticism at home for hosting the Republican billionaire during the US presidential election in August even though Trump had called Mexican migrants &quot;rapists&quot; and drug runners.

Now, he is under pressure to avoid meeting Trump again, with Senator Miguel Barbosa, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), saying Pena Nieto should not negotiate &quot;under pressure&quot; or let Trump &quot;impose his conditions&quot;.

Barbosa described the wall and measures against &quot;sanctuary&quot; US cities that protect migrants from deportation as &quot;acts of aggression against Mexico, against Latin America, against the world, against freedom&quot;.

Fellow PRD Senator Armando Rios Piter called the wall announcement a &quot;hostile act&quot; that should prompt Pena Nieto to scrap his trip.

&nbsp;

Mexicans worry about tighter border

At the busy border crossing in the northwestern city of Tijuana, Julian Tamayo was sitting in a long line of cars with his wife and daughter to go to the US city of San Diego, where he works.

&quot;Many of the (border) guards are very despotic and arrogant, and Trump is giving them carte blanche to be even more so,&quot; Tamayo, 49, told AFP.

Hector Renteria, a 29-year-old architecture student who was also waiting to cross the border, said the wall is not useful because migrants will &quot;find other ways to cross&quot; illegally. Renteria worried that the wall will &quot;affect traffic more and (border) checks will be stricter&quot;.

&nbsp;

Fox&#39;s F-bomb

Other political stalwarts urged Pena Nieto to stand up to Trump during his visit.

Two-time presidential election runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador exhorted Pena Nieto to lodge a complaint against the US government at the United Nations for &quot;violation of human rights and racial discrimination&quot;.

He said Pena Nieto should go to Washington to deliver the complaint to Trump and to &quot;fight for freedom, not beg for it&quot;.

Pena Nieto vowed on Monday that there would be &quot;neither confrontation nor submission&quot; in the negotiations with the Trump administration, which will include trade, immigration and other issues.

Former president Vicente Fox, meanwhile, used an expletive yet again on Twitter to tell the White House&#39;s spokesman that Mexico will not pay for the wall.

&quot;Sean Spicer, I&#39;ve said this to realDonaldTrump and now I&#39;ll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall,&quot; Fox thundered.

(AFP)

The Mexican opposition has called the wall construction an 'affront' and urged President Pena Nieto to dump the meeting with Trump

Mexican opposition figures urged President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday to cancel next week's meeting with US President Donald Trump to protest his wall while everyday Mexicans voiced concern about tighter border security. "The announcement of @realDonaldTrump's wall before the visit of @EPN (Pena Nieto) is an affront to Mexico," Margarita Zavala, a potential 2018 presidential candidate of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), wrote on Twitter. "The visit must be reconsidered," Zavala said hours before Trump's announcement, adding in Spanish a hashtag that translates to "no to the wall". Making good on a campaign promise, Trump ordered work to begin on designing and building the wall as Mexico's foreign and economy ministers were in Washington to prepare Pena Nieto's own visit on January 31. Their meetings continue on Thursday. The US leader repeated his vow to make Mexico reimburse the cost of building the massive barrier across the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometre) stretch. Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo warned on Tuesday that Mexico could pull out of negotiations with the Trump administration if it insists on making his government pay for the wall, including by tapping remittances that migrants send home. Pena Nieto's spokesman, Eduardo Sanchez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The last time Pena Nieto met with Trump, things did not go well for the Mexican leader. Pena Nieto came under massive criticism at home for hosting the Republican billionaire during the US presidential election in August even though Trump had called Mexican migrants "rapists" and drug runners. Now, he is under pressure to avoid meeting Trump again, with Senator Miguel Barbosa, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), saying Pena Nieto should not negotiate "under pressure" or let Trump "impose his conditions". Barbosa described the wall and measures against "sanctuary" US cities that protect migrants from deportation as "acts of aggression against Mexico, against Latin America, against the world, against freedom". Fellow PRD Senator Armando Rios Piter called the wall announcement a "hostile act" that should prompt Pena Nieto to scrap his trip. Mexicans worry about tighter border At the busy border crossing in the northwestern city of Tijuana, Julian Tamayo was sitting in a long line of cars with his wife and daughter to go to the US city of San Diego, where he works. "Many of the (border) guards are very despotic and arrogant, and Trump is giving them carte blanche to be even more so," Tamayo, 49, told AFP. Hector Renteria, a 29-year-old architecture student who was also waiting to cross the border, said the wall is not useful because migrants will "find other ways to cross" illegally. Renteria worried that the wall will "affect traffic more and (border) checks will be stricter". Fox's F-bomb Other political stalwarts urged Pena Nieto to stand up to Trump during his visit. Two-time presidential election runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador exhorted Pena Nieto to lodge a complaint against the US government at the United Nations for "violation of human rights and racial discrimination". He said Pena Nieto should go to Washington to deliver the complaint to Trump and to "fight for freedom, not beg for it". Pena Nieto vowed on Monday that there would be "neither confrontation nor submission" in the negotiations with the Trump administration, which will include trade, immigration and other issues. Former president Vicente Fox, meanwhile, used an expletive yet again on Twitter to tell the White House's spokesman that Mexico will not pay for the wall. "Sean Spicer, I've said this to realDonaldTrump and now I'll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall," Fox thundered. (AFP)

Trump's border wall decision hacks off Mexicans

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order for the building of a wall along the Mexican border, as he looks to fulfill his campaign pledge.

Trump also said that Mexico would reimburse the cost it takes to build the 2,000-mile wall, though earlier he had admitted that getting the Latin American country to pay for the barrier would be &quot;complicated&quot;.

Trump&#39;s decision is the first in a raft of measures he is expected to taken on border and national security this week. There are talks that he is looking to ban refugess from Muslim-majority countries.

Building of wall along the Mexican border was the centrepiece of Trump&#39;s campaign. It was a clarion call for the people which supported him but earned him censure from people both living in the US and abroad for being a &quot;racist&quot; move.

Forty seven per cent of the people support the move while 45 per cent are against it, according to&nbsp;Morning Consult/Politico poll released on Wednesday, undercsoring the controversial nature of the decision.

&quot;A nation without borders is not a nation,&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said&nbsp;as he&nbsp;visited the Department of Homeland Security to sign two executive orders.

Detractors of the move point out that building the wall would be an expensive mistake. While Trump say it would take $8 billion to build the wall, estimates suggest it would be double of that.

Critics also say the move would prove futile as the flow of unauthorised migrants&nbsp;is already down to near the level of the early 1970s, according to the Washington Office on Latin America.

And how the Trump administration plans to stump out billions of dollars to build the wall is also another stumbling block.

Despite the high octane rhetoric,&nbsp;Trump&#39;s action was piecemeal; looking to identify existing funds that could be diverted toward the project.

The Republican-controlled Congress would need to supply billions of dollars more if the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;is to be anywhere near completed.

Trump&#39;s party has spent the last decade preaching fiscal prudence, so cuts to existing programs would likely be required.

Trump&nbsp;also ordered a survey of the border to be completed within 180 days.

Much of the land needed to build the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;would have to be seized from private citizens in Texas, the state of Texas or tribal authorities.

That could lead to lengthy legal proceedings, political blowback, and substantial expropriation payments.

Will Mexico pay?

Trump has promised that Mexico will pay for the wall, telling ABC they would be reimbursed &quot;absolutely 100 per cent&quot;.

&quot;Ultimately it will come out of what&#39;s happening with Mexico, we&#39;re going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico,&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;told ABC earlier Wednesday.

Trump&nbsp;aides have weighed hiking border tariffs or border transit costs as one way to &quot;make Mexico pay.&quot;&nbsp;

Another threat is to finance the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;by tapping into remittances that Mexican migrants send home, which last year amounted to $25 billion.

Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and the country&#39;s economy minister are currently in Washington to prepare a visit by President Enrique Pena Nieto scheduled for January 31.

&quot;There are very clear red lines that must be drawn from the start,&quot; Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told the Televisa network in Mexico just ahead of the trip.

Asked whether his country would walk away from talks if the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;and remittances are an issue, Guajardo said: &quot;Absolutely.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He?is also expected to sign measures targeting US "sanctuary" cities, where local officials don't round up people for deportation

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order for the building of a wall along the Mexican border, as he looks to fulfill his campaign pledge. Trump also said that Mexico would reimburse the cost it takes to build the 2,000-mile wall, though earlier he had admitted that getting the Latin American country to pay for the barrier would be "complicated". Trump's decision is the first in a raft of measures he is expected to taken on border and national security this week. There are talks that he is looking to ban refugess from Muslim-majority countries. Building of wall along the Mexican border was the centrepiece of Trump's campaign. It was a clarion call for the people which supported him but earned him censure from people both living in the US and abroad for being a "racist" move. Forty seven per cent of the people support the move while 45 per cent are against it, according to Morning Consult/Politico poll released on Wednesday, undercsoring the controversial nature of the decision. "A nation without borders is not a nation," Trump said as he visited the Department of Homeland Security to sign two executive orders. Detractors of the move point out that building the wall would be an expensive mistake. While Trump say it would take $8 billion to build the wall, estimates suggest it would be double of that. Critics also say the move would prove futile as the flow of unauthorised migrants is already down to near the level of the early 1970s, according to the Washington Office on Latin America. And how the Trump administration plans to stump out billions of dollars to build the wall is also another stumbling block. Despite the high octane rhetoric, Trump's action was piecemeal; looking to identify existing funds that could be diverted toward the project. The Republican-controlled Congress would need to supply billions of dollars more if the wall is to be anywhere near completed. Trump's party has spent the last decade preaching fiscal prudence, so cuts to existing programs would likely be required. Trump also ordered a survey of the border to be completed within 180 days. Much of the land needed to build the wall would have to be seized from private citizens in Texas, the state of Texas or tribal authorities. That could lead to lengthy legal proceedings, political blowback, and substantial expropriation payments. Will Mexico pay? Trump has promised that Mexico will pay for the wall, telling ABC they would be reimbursed "absolutely 100 per cent". "Ultimately it will come out of what's happening with Mexico, we're going to be starting those negotiations relatively soon. And we will be, in a form, reimbursed by Mexico," Trump told ABC earlier Wednesday. Trump aides have weighed hiking border tariffs or border transit costs as one way to "make Mexico pay." Another threat is to finance the wall by tapping into remittances that Mexican migrants send home, which last year amounted to $25 billion. Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and the country's economy minister are currently in Washington to prepare a visit by President Enrique Pena Nieto scheduled for January 31. "There are very clear red lines that must be drawn from the start," Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told the Televisa network in Mexico just ahead of the trip. Asked whether his country would walk away from talks if the wall and remittances are an issue, Guajardo said: "Absolutely." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Donald Trump signs order to build wall along Mexico border

Mexico said on Wednesday it would work with Donald Trump for the benefit of both nations after his surprise US&nbsp;election win, but reiterated it would not pay for his planned border wall, which stirred up deep resentment during a fraught presidential campaign.

As Trump strode toward victory, the peso plunged 13 per cent in its biggest fall since the Tequila Crisis devaluation 22 years ago, before paring losses to trade down 8.7 per cent at 19.91 per dollar. Still, officials held back from taking action to support the peso despite it hitting lifetime lows overnight.

Trump&#39;s threats to dump the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) agreement with Mexico and Canada, and to tax money sent home by migrants to pay for the controversial wall on the southern border, have made the peso particularly vulnerable to events in the US&nbsp;presidential race.

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<h5>&#39;Very hard times are coming to Mexico,&#39; said analyst Gabriela Siller of Mexican bank BASE</h5>
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Still, President Enrique Pena Nieto said he called to congratulate Trump, and had agreed to meet the New Yorker during the transition phase to discuss joint cooperation, which he hopes would strengthen the competitiveness of North America.

Welcoming Trump&#39;s victory speech pledge to seek &quot;common ground&quot; and partnership with other countries, Pena Nieto said in a televised statement that Mexico shared the same vision.

&quot;Dialogue to make agreements is still the best route for Mexico, and my government will seek opportunities that benefit both nations in this new phase of bilateral relations,&quot; he said.

Nevertheless, Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu reiterated that Mexico would not pay for Trump&#39;s proposed wall. The vow to make Mexico pay for the barrier was a key feature of his stump speeches.

Ratings agency Fitch said Trump&#39;s victory may add downside risks to Mexico&#39;s economic growth, while Moody&#39;s warned the government may not meet its goals of cutting its budget deficit if flows of trade or foreign investment wilt under Trump.

Growth worry

Both Moody&#39;s and Standard &amp; Poor&#39;s rating agencies put Mexico&#39;s credit rating on a negative view earlier this year.

Gabriel Casillas, an economist at Banorte, predicted Trump&#39;s victory will shave 0.3 percentage point from 2016 economic growth, and said the peso could suffer for months as the market tries to figure out what Trump could do in office.

&quot;Because of the uncertainty of what Trump could do, consumers will postpone purchases, companies will postpone investments,&quot; Casillas said, but added that he thought Trump&#39;s actual policies will fall short of his rhetoric, not least because unwinding trade with Mexico is easier said than done.&quot;I don&#39;t think Trump will do a lot of the things he said he will do,&quot; he said.

Others were more pessimistic.

Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note that the fallout from a Trump presidency would have &quot;deep ramifications&quot; for the equity market and that foreign investment could stall.

&quot;Risks of a hard landing in Mexico have clearly risen,&quot; the bank&#39;s analysts said.

But for now the market pulled back from its initial panic. The peso recovered from its low after Trump took a measured tone in his victory speech and did not invoke any of his threats against Mexico, analysts said.

Mexico&#39;s benchmark IPC stock index &lt;.MXX&gt; fell more than 3.0 percent initially, but pared losses and closed down 2.23 percent.

&quot;The market has calmed down a bit and given the benefit of doubt to a more conciliatory Trump,&quot; said Marco Oviedo, an economist at Barclays in Mexico City.

Mexican-based economists had expected a snap interest rate rise, but central bank Governor Agustin Carstens told a news conference on Wednesday morning the bank would take any necessary measures pending market conditions.

He said it would hold a monetary policy meeting as scheduled on Nov. 17, but did not announce any immediate steps to support the currency. Mexico has already raised its benchmark interest rate three times this year to support the peso.

Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade said authorities were monitoring the situation and would act if needed.

The central bank hiked its key interest rate in September by 50 basis points to 4.75 percent to anchor inflation expectations following the peso&#39;s creeping depreciation.

Mexico has more than $175 billion in foreign reserves, and Carstens said last month he would consider using a $90 billion International Monetary Fund flexible credit line &quot;in the event of an external shock.

(Reuters)

Instead, President Enrique Pena Nieto urged the newly-elected Donald Trump to 'work together' for the development of North America

Mexico said on Wednesday it would work with Donald Trump for the benefit of both nations after his surprise US election win, but reiterated it would not pay for his planned border wall, which stirred up deep resentment during a fraught presidential campaign. As Trump strode toward victory, the peso plunged 13 per cent in its biggest fall since the Tequila Crisis devaluation 22 years ago, before paring losses to trade down 8.7 per cent at 19.91 per dollar. Still, officials held back from taking action to support the peso despite it hitting lifetime lows overnight. Trump's threats to dump the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) agreement with Mexico and Canada, and to tax money sent home by migrants to pay for the controversial wall on the southern border, have made the peso particularly vulnerable to events in the US presidential race. 'Very hard times are coming to Mexico,' said analyst Gabriela Siller of Mexican bank BASE × Still, President Enrique Pena Nieto said he called to congratulate Trump, and had agreed to meet the New Yorker during the transition phase to discuss joint cooperation, which he hopes would strengthen the competitiveness of North America. Welcoming Trump's victory speech pledge to seek "common ground" and partnership with other countries, Pena Nieto said in a televised statement that Mexico shared the same vision. "Dialogue to make agreements is still the best route for Mexico, and my government will seek opportunities that benefit both nations in this new phase of bilateral relations," he said. Nevertheless, Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu reiterated that Mexico would not pay for Trump's proposed wall. The vow to make Mexico pay for the barrier was a key feature of his stump speeches. Ratings agency Fitch said Trump's victory may add downside risks to Mexico's economic growth, while Moody's warned the government may not meet its goals of cutting its budget deficit if flows of trade or foreign investment wilt under Trump. Growth worry Both Moody's and Standard & Poor's rating agencies put Mexico's credit rating on a negative view earlier this year. Gabriel Casillas, an economist at Banorte, predicted Trump's victory will shave 0.3 percentage point from 2016 economic growth, and said the peso could suffer for months as the market tries to figure out what Trump could do in office. "Because of the uncertainty of what Trump could do, consumers will postpone purchases, companies will postpone investments," Casillas said, but added that he thought Trump's actual policies will fall short of his rhetoric, not least because unwinding trade with Mexico is easier said than done."I don't think Trump will do a lot of the things he said he will do," he said. Others were more pessimistic. Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note that the fallout from a Trump presidency would have "deep ramifications" for the equity market and that foreign investment could stall. "Risks of a hard landing in Mexico have clearly risen," the bank's analysts said. But for now the market pulled back from its initial panic. The peso recovered from its low after Trump took a measured tone in his victory speech and did not invoke any of his threats against Mexico, analysts said. Mexico's benchmark IPC stock index <.MXX> fell more than 3.0 percent initially, but pared losses and closed down 2.23 percent. "The market has calmed down a bit and given the benefit of doubt to a more conciliatory Trump," said Marco Oviedo, an economist at Barclays in Mexico City. Mexican-based economists had expected a snap interest rate rise, but central bank Governor Agustin Carstens told a news conference on Wednesday morning the bank would take any necessary measures pending market conditions. He said it would hold a monetary policy meeting as scheduled on Nov. 17, but did not announce any immediate steps to support the currency. Mexico has already raised its benchmark interest rate three times this year to support the peso. Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade said authorities were monitoring the situation and would act if needed. The central bank hiked its key interest rate in September by 50 basis points to 4.75 percent to anchor inflation expectations following the peso's creeping depreciation. Mexico has more than $175 billion in foreign reserves, and Carstens said last month he would consider using a $90 billion International Monetary Fund flexible credit line "in the event of an external shock. (Reuters)

We will not pay for border wall, Mexico reiterates

With many countries across the world worrying that migration is running out of control, Mexico&#39;s President Enrique Pena Nieto took an opposing stand.&nbsp; 
 
In an address at the United Nations summit on migrants and refugees on Monday, Pena Nieto said the history has proven that efforts to stop immigration and the mix of cultures are bound to fail. 
 
&quot;History shows that there are no barriers that can stop either the movement of people or the fusion of cultures,&quot; he said. 
 
Pena Nieto&#39;s popularity took a hit in his country for hosting Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump on August 31.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s tirade against immigrants and his vows to build a border wall with Mexico has become an issue in both the countries.&nbsp; 
 
Pena Nieto asserted, &quot;Neither natural nor artificial barriers hold sway. For every river there has always been a bridge. For every obstacle there has always been a way forward. Movement is an essential part of human existence.&quot; 
 
Trump has infuriated Mexicans with a series of verbal attacks against the United States&#39; southern neighbor. 
 
&quot;We are a proudly mestizo, multi-cultural and diverse nation,&quot; Pena Nieto said, referring to Mexican of mixed descent. 
 
&quot;We Mexicans firmly believe that this mestizo fusion is the future and destiny of human kind.&quot; 
 
At the summit, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development urged Western governments to help newcomers integrate faster to tackle the growing anti-migrant backlash.&nbsp; 
 
It presented a report to the UN saying the newcomers included a record 1.65 million registered new asylum seekers, nearly 1.3 million of them in Europe. 
 
&quot;The public is losing faith in the capacity of governments to manage migration,&quot; the OECD&#39;s International Migration Outlook report warned. 
 
Citizens of host countries worry that public services are overstretched, that immigration only benefits the rich and that migrants do not want to integrate, the OECD&#39;s director for employment, labour and social affairs, Stefano Scarpetta said. 
 
This includes recognising that large numbers of low-skilled migrants arriving in an area could damage the job prospects of low-skilled locals. 
 
&quot;The big task, the big challenge now is integration,&quot; OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria said at the launch of the report in Paris. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

President Pena Nieto's meeting with Donald Trump, despite his talk of a border wall with Mexico, has infuriated Mexicans

With many countries across the world worrying that migration is running out of control, Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto took an opposing stand. In an address at the United Nations summit on migrants and refugees on Monday, Pena Nieto said the history has proven that efforts to stop immigration and the mix of cultures are bound to fail. "History shows that there are no barriers that can stop either the movement of people or the fusion of cultures," he said. Pena Nieto's popularity took a hit in his country for hosting Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump on August 31. Trump's tirade against immigrants and his vows to build a border wall with Mexico has become an issue in both the countries. Pena Nieto asserted, "Neither natural nor artificial barriers hold sway. For every river there has always been a bridge. For every obstacle there has always been a way forward. Movement is an essential part of human existence." Trump has infuriated Mexicans with a series of verbal attacks against the United States' southern neighbor. "We are a proudly mestizo, multi-cultural and diverse nation," Pena Nieto said, referring to Mexican of mixed descent. "We Mexicans firmly believe that this mestizo fusion is the future and destiny of human kind." At the summit, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development urged Western governments to help newcomers integrate faster to tackle the growing anti-migrant backlash. It presented a report to the UN saying the newcomers included a record 1.65 million registered new asylum seekers, nearly 1.3 million of them in Europe. "The public is losing faith in the capacity of governments to manage migration," the OECD's International Migration Outlook report warned. Citizens of host countries worry that public services are overstretched, that immigration only benefits the rich and that migrants do not want to integrate, the OECD's director for employment, labour and social affairs, Stefano Scarpetta said. This includes recognising that large numbers of low-skilled migrants arriving in an area could damage the job prospects of low-skilled locals. "The big task, the big challenge now is integration," OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria said at the launch of the report in Paris. (WION with inputs from agencies)

No barriers can stop immigration: Mexican President at UN migration summit