Instead of paying for the wall, Mexico’s left-wing government officials have suggested that the United States should pay them and other Central American nations to boost their economies …

Granted, it wasn’t their idea, though they appear to be claiming otherwise.

Earlier this week the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean proposed that America spend a bunch of its own money — $10 billion, to be exact — to improve the economic conditions in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Why? So that the citizens of these respective nations aren’t tempted to illegally immigrate here — which thus far they’ve reportedly been doing in droves:

Seems lots of media are admitting Trump is right.

NY Times admits ‘border at breaking point’ as more than 76,000 cross in a month, DHS says ‘spiraling out of control’ https://t.co/wJDtdxy8UV — GrannieLynda (@Lynda63986855) March 6, 2019

And wouldn’t you know it, Mexico’s left-wing leaders love the idea.

“Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the plan laid out by the [ECLAC] was the United States’ best option for stemming the flow of immigrants,” the Associated Press reported.

“It goes to the root of the problem,” he reportedly said. “People migrate out of necessity, for a lack of job opportunities or because of violence.”

The Mexicans love the idea so much they’re now essentially taking credit for it.

“Mexico is proposing that the United States finance seven projects designed to boost the economies of three Central American nations whose poverty and violence now pushes desperate migrants to travel north,” the Associated Press confirmed Thursday.

“Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard told reporters Thursday after meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan that he plans to showcase the same proposal next week in Germany.”

Ebrard was reportedly slated to broach the idea during a meeting Friday with President Donald Trump, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan.

“I cannot tell you now whether the United States will take all the projects we bring, but certainly Mexico’s perspective needs to be taken into account,” he said to the media. “I hope President Trump, once he has the information we are providing, he can reassess what Mexico is proposing.”

While it’s unclear how Trump and his top officials will respond to the proposal, both polling data and the reaction on social media suggests that the American people don’t favor it.

If anything, they appear to believe the proposal is a form of blackmailing:

We’ve already given way too much below the southern border. How about they start paying back what it costs the US taxpayers to protect our borders, send back their people, and cover the multitude of expenses they rack up through illegal benefits. Not even counting legal burdens — Mona Andersen (@monaandersen77) May 24, 2019

If they reimburse us for their illegals that have come here, the jobs they took, and this is a single, last payment with not any morr money going to them, maybe… but why should we even give them a dime? We may just start sanctions instead.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump — SoCalBohoGal (@SoCalBohoGal) May 24, 2019

The US has pour millions into Central America and South America and its done no good..We need to take care of our own FIRST. I have not seen any of them offer help here.. — Carol (@Carol38553) May 24, 2019

We’re already paying for all the illegals that are on our welfare system, in fact we’ve paid way more than that! It’s time Mexico pays for the wall. — Kc☀️ (@kc_americangirl) May 24, 2019

HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE MISSING …

If the Trump administration were to capitulate to these demands, which seems unlikely, it’d mark an act of appeasement — one in direct contradiction to the president’s prior pledges.

It’s been the president’s contention from day one that slowing down and halting illegal immigration requires ramping up immigration enforcement and securing the border.

During the 2016 presidential election, the president promised to crack down on illegal immigration — which his administration has certainly done — and construct a sturdy wall along the southern border. The latter pledge is being carried out at this moment, albeit slowly.

But because of nonstop obstruction by left-wing judges and congressional Democrats, the president has been minimally successful in reducing illegal immigration.

What remains unclear is how the president plans to move forward. Will he capitulate to Mexico’s demands, or will he keep fighting the long and tedious legal battles necessary to secure the border and halt the stampede of illegal aliens crossing into the U.S.?

His rhetoric on Twitter this weeks suggests he certainly won’t capitulate:

I am very disappointed that Mexico is doing virtually nothing to stop illegal immigrants from coming to our Southern Border where everyone knows that because of the Democrats, our Immigration Laws are totally flawed & broken… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2019

…Mexico’s attitude is that people from other countries, including Mexico, should have the right to flow into the U.S. & that U.S. taxpayers should be responsible for the tremendous costs associated w/this illegal migration. Mexico is wrong and I will soon be giving a response! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2019

While it’s unclear what this “response” will entail, some believe it may involve sanctions or tariffs. The president has previously threatened to shut down the southern border and impose auto tarrifs on Mexico. However, the reportedly just lifted steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexico and Canada last week as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE MISSING …