'AMERICA IS TAKING BACK ITS BORDERS'
Donald Trump decree calls for ‘immediate construction’ of Mexico wall, probe into sanctuary cities and 5,000 more border guards
PRESIDENT Donald Trump has revealed plans to build the Mexico border wall will begin "immediately", amid a backlash from Mexican officials.
He signed an order to kickstart the massive project as he confirmed on Wednesday it will be first funded by US taxpayer dollars.
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He also confirmed he expects Americans to receive reimbursement from Mexico after the initial payout - despite the Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto restating that his government have no intention of funding it.
Part of is already covered by a large fence, and the White House hopes the wall will eventually stretch all the way along the 2,000-mile boundary.
However the President’s order will only be able to divert some existing funds to get the huge multi-billion dollar project started.
Trump will need to convince Congress to supply new money if the project is to be anywhere near completed.
He promised on the campaign trail to “make Mexico pay” for the wall – something its government has repeatedly scoffed at.
It is thought some form of border tax could be his way of fulfilling his promise.
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Trump confirmed it will still need to be funded by American cash in the first place before being paid back over time, possibly in a "complicated form", he said.
Speaking to in his first TV interview since becoming President, he said negotiations between the US and Mexico would begin "relatively soon".
Trump added: "Ultimately, it will come out of what's happening with Mexico ... and we will be in a form reimbursed by Mexico, which I've always said."
When asked about a timeframe, the President said: "As soon as we can, as soon as we can physically do it.
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"I would say in months, yeah. I would say in months — certainly planning is starting immediately."
A Mexican government official said the country's President is considering cancelling a planned visit to Washington DC following Trump's announcement.
Lawmakers are pressuring Enrique Pena Nieto to scrap the talks, and he is now considering "the next steps to take".
"I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us," Pena Nieto said in a nationally televised message.
"I have said it time and again: Mexico will not pay for any wall."
And addressing White House spokesman Sean Spicer, the country's former President Vincente Fox Quesada blasted on Twitter: "I've said this to @realDonaldTrump and now I'll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that f***ing wall."
During a briefing, Spicer referred to the wall as "a large physical barrier on the southern border.
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"Building this barrier is more than just a campaign promise, it's a common sense first step to really securing our porous border," Spicer added.
"This will stem the flow of drugs, crime, illegal immigration into the United States," he said.
It was the only executive order Trump signed on Wednesday at the Department of Homeland Security - another stated there would be a clamp down on "sanctuary cities" and States the White House claims are refusing to crack down on illegal immigrants.
A sanctuary city offers a safe place for an undocumented immigrant who might otherwise be deported by federal immigration law enforcement officials.
There are over 140 sanctuary jurisdictions in the U.S., which include counties, cities and states - they include San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.
Trump also revealed he was ordering 5,000 more border guards to join those already on patrol along the border, and he planned to boost
boosting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with 10,000 new employees to assist with carrying out deportations.
The orders noted the increases in staff were subject to Congress's getting sufficient funds.
At present, ICE has a 20,000 strong workforce - Trump's decision had led many to show concern the President is looking to make good his campaign promise of mass deportations.
In the coming days the President is also expected to call for restricted access to the United States for refugees and some visa holders from "terror prone" countries like Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
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On the campaign trail Trump announced plans for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslim immigration to the US.
He later softened his stance to advocate temporarily banning immigration “from regions that export terrorism and where safe vetting cannot presently be ensured”.
Many Trump supporters criticised Barack Obama's decision to increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States over fears that those fleeing the country's civil war would carry out attacks.
Both Trump and his nominee for attorney general, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, have since said they would focus the restrictions on countries whose expats could pose a threat rather than placing a ban on people who follow a specific religion.
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Donald Trump's potential list of countries that could have travel restrictions placed on them
- Syria – Ravaged by civil war for nearly six years, the lawless country is the home base and training centre for a host of terror groups, including ISIS and the formerly Al Qaeda-linked Al Nusra Front.
- Iraq – Unstable since the 2003 US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, ISIS took over swathes of the country with ease in 2014, taking advantage of the sympathetic Sunni minority that made the same areas a breeding ground for Al Qaeda during the anti-West insurgency.
- Iran – A radical Islamist republic since the 1979 revolution – remembered by many in America for the hostage crisis after the country’s embassy in Tehran was stormed – Iran was branded “the foremost sponsor of terrorism in 2015” by the US State Department.
- Libya – Essentially a failed state since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has seen jihadi groups flourish in recent years, with between seven and nine radical organisations believed to be operating there, according to one US official.
- Somalia – Arguably the world most famous and longest-running failed state, with no effective government since 1991. Home to infamous jihadi group Al Shabbab.
- Sudan – Previously on the State Department’s list of terror sponsors and still a supporter of Palestinian terror group Hamas. Previously used as a transit point for Brit jihadis looking to travel to Syria.
- Yemen – A long-time haven for Al Qaeda and now with a growing ISIS presence since the country was carved in two by the recent civil war which broke out in 2014.
Trump is likely to instruct the US State Department to stop issuing visas to people from those nations.
He could also instruct US Customs and Border Protection to stop any current visa holders from those countries from entering the United States.
On the issue of cities refusing to act on illegal immigration, Spicer said: "The American people are no longer going to have to be forced to subsidize this disregard for our laws".
Democrat-led cities like San Francisco have been accused of being "sanctuaries" to illegal immigrants, and the latest order could allow them to be stripped of Federal grant money if they refuse to comply.
Over the next few days, Trump is expected to sign orders to:
- Stop issuing visas to people from “terror-prone” Muslim countries Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen
- Grant exceptions to Christians and other minorities fleeing Muslim persecution
- Initiate a four-month freeze on all refugees entering the US
- Stop protecting illegal immigrants who arrived in the US as kids
Other measures being considered by the Trump team may include directing all agencies to finish work on a biometric identification system for non-citizens entering and exiting the United States and a crackdown on immigrants fraudulently receiving government benefits, according to immigration experts.
Trump is also expected to swear in his new secretary of homeland security, retired Marine General John Kelly, on Wednesday.
This week Trump has already signed an executive order to ban federal money going to international groups which perform or provide information on abortions.
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