RACE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM

Thousands of Mexican families are seen dashing for the US border in the hope of starting a new life before Donald Trump builds his infamous wall

Aerial pictures show border agents detaining migrants trying to flee into Texas

TEXAN border control agents detain a group of Mexican migrants as thousands attempt to enter the US illegally ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Families and even unaccompanied children are among the hordes of desperate immigrants from Mexico who are making the dangerous border crossing.

Advertisement
Border agents watch over immigrants who crossed the US-Mexico border near McAllen, TexasCredit: Getty Images
Authorities pull a dead body from the Rio Grande riverCredit: Getty Images
Border agents detain a Mexican man trying to cross the border illegally into TexasCredit: Getty Images
A suspected smuggler is pictured on the Mexican side of the riverCredit: Getty Images

One picture shows a suspected smuggler in his boat on the central American side of the Rio Grande.

Another disturbing image shows border agents removing a dead body from the vast river.

President-elect Trump, who will be sworn into the White House on January 20, has promised to build a giant border wall to curb illegal immigration.

Related Stories

TRUMPTY DUMPTY
Is Trump building a wall on the US-Mexico border and how much will it cost?
'don't be afraid'
Trump says women might have to travel to other states for abortions, promises to deport 3m immigrants and insists he WILL build wall in first interview as President-elect from his NY bling palace
‘TAKE ON MY WIFE’
Jeremy Corbyn says he would like to see Donald Trump argue against his Mexican wife over wall plan
market jitters
Shares around world fall as Trump pushes Wall Street’s ‘fear index’ to levels not seen since Brexit

Mexicans living in the US have reportedly sent home nearly £2billion to relatives since Trump’s shock election win in November.

Advertisement

According to Mexican central bank data, this is the biggest jump of its kind in over ten years.

Trump's triumph also sent the Mexican currency crashing to record lows in a sell-off fuelled by his threats to scrap a trade deal between Mexico and the US.

Since the currency crash, Mexico's richest people have reportedly lost enough money to build Trump’s controversial border wall.

The 10 richest Mexican billionaires dropped a combined £5.2bn (US$6.5bn) with the richest of them, Carlos Slim, losing £4bn of his £14bn fortune (US5.1bn), reports Bloomberg.

Advertisement

What is Donald Trump's Mexican border wall?

When Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015, he proposed the idea of building a wall along America’s southern border in between America and Mexico.

He said: “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."

Why did he suggest it?

Trump said he wants to control the flow of illegal immigration, illegal trade and crime in general.

He said: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending the best.

They're not sending you, they're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing those problems with us.

They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they're telling us what we're getting."

How much will it cost?

Earlier Trump said it would cost his wall would cost up to $12bn, but analysis by the Washington Post indicated that the true cost could be as high as $25bn.

What region does it cover?

The US-Mexican border is approximately 2,000 miles long and covers four states from California through to Texas.

How will it look like?

During his election campaign, he said the wall would be made of precast concrete and be as high as 50ft.

What does Mexico say about it?

Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu said shortly after Trump bagged the presidency that Mexico will not pay for the wall.

What will he do if Mexico doesn’t pay?

Trump has suggested blocking remittances from undocumented workers residing in the USA to Mexico. “It’s an easy decision for Mexico. Make a one-time payment of $5 to10bn to ensure that $24bn continues to flow into their country year after,” he said in a two-page memo sent to the Washington Post in April 2016.

What did he say after winning?

In Trump’s first interview as president-elect, he told CBS News that part of the wall could be made of ‘fencing’.

He said: "For certain areas I would [accept a fence], but certain areas, a wall is more appropriate. I’m very good at this, it’s called construction."

 


We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368


 

Topics
Advertisement
machibet777.com