Donald Trump on Wednesday squashed any speculation that he might soften his immigration position to reach new voters in the final stretch of the 2016 campaign, delivering a hawkish, hardline, and true-to-his-roots border platform and vowing that on Day One of his administration, the United States would launch a mammoth deportation program and begin construction of a wall.

Emerging from a hastily organized meeting with Mexico's president, the Republican nominee flew to Arizona and not only renewed his pledge that America’s southern neighbor would fund an impenetrable, beautiful border wall but said it would be built in “record time” and at a “reasonable price."


“We will build a great wall along the southern border — and Mexico will pay for the wall,” Trump said. “100 percent. They don’t know it yet, but they're gonna pay for the wall.”

Trump hailed the “great people and great leaders” of Mexico following his visit to Mexico City but insisted, “they’re going to pay for the wall.”

“On Day One, we will begin working on an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern border wall,” Trump said during a major speech on immigration in Phoenix after weeks of waffling on the issue that has been core to his campaign. “We will use the best technology, including above- and below-ground sensors. That’s the tunnels. Remember that. Above and below. Above- and below- ground sensors, towers, aerial surveillance and manpower to supplement the wall, find and dislocate tunnels and keep out criminal cartels and Mexico, you know that, will work with us. I really believe it. Mexico will work with us. I absolutely believe it.”

Shedding any pretense of softening his posture, Trump promised to protect American citizens, reaffirming his America First policy as he blamed President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton directly for violence perpetrated by illegal immigrants. Obama and Clinton, Trump said, support so-called sanctuary cities, a catch-and-release program on the border, visa overstays, the release of “dangerous criminals” and amnesty.

He accused his rival of promising amnesty in her first 100 days, as well as granting Obamacare, Social Security and Medicare to undocumented immigrants, a move he said would break the federal budget.

“On top of that, she promises uncontrolled, low-skilled immigration that continues to reduce jobs and wages for American workers and especially for African-American and Hispanic workers within our country — our citizens,” he said.

He chronicled a number of Americans who’ve died at the hands of immigrants who were in the country illegally and cast Clinton as the candidate who cares more about protecting immigrant families from being split up while presenting himself as the one who puts Americans first.

“To all the politicians, donors and special interests, hear these words from me and all of you today: There is only one core issue in the immigration debate, and that issue is the well-being of the American people,” Trump said. “Nothing even comes a close second.”

View Trump promises a physical wall that Mexico will pay for Within hours of meeting with the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, Donald Trump delivers speech in Phoenix, Arizona promising to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it.

Trump outlined other planks of his policy position, including a promise to return all detained undocumented people to their home countries and zero tolerance for immigrants who commit crimes. It amounted to a massive deportation program.

“You can call it deported if you want. The press doesn’t like that term,” he said. “You can call it whatever the hell you want. They’re gone.”

He also touted his “extreme vetting” policy, which includes an ideological test and merit-based entry system, and pledged to bar immigration from nations like Syria and Libya.

“We have no idea who they are, where they come from,” Trump said. “There’s no documentation. There’s no paperwork. It’s going to end badly, folks. It’s going to end very, very badly.”

Trump asked voters to imagine an America in which, if he’s elected and his policies are implemented, the U.S. will see a reduction in crime and border crossings, a decrease in the number of gangs and less reliance on welfare, and one in which peace, law, justice and prosperity will prevail.

“For those here illegally today, who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only: to return home and apply for reentry like everybody else under the rules of the new legal immigration system that I have outlined above,” Trump said. “Those who have left to seek entry under this new system, and it will be an efficient system, will not be awarded surplus visas but will have to apply for entry under the immigration caps or limits that will be established in the future. We will break the cycle of amnesty and illegal immigration. We will break the cycle. There will be no amnesty.”

Trump launched his campaign last June pledging to build a “great, great wall on our southern border” that the Mexican government would pay for. Months later in November, he called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. and within days said he would deport millions of illegal immigrants “humanely” with a “deportation force,” too.

Trump has since modulated his controversial Muslim ban to temporarily suspend immigration from so-called terror states and proposed screening potential immigrants with an ideological admissions test to determine whether they support American values. But his position on immigrants who are already in the country illegally had only gotten hazier in recent days.

Wednesday was Trump’s opportunity to clean up his muddied position on border security and immigration, and he opened the day by dashing south of the border to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto — a bid to present himself as a tough contender, ready to make demands of his negotiating partners and get a better deal for America. Certainly, Trump scored on optics, standing next to an elected head of state and declaring that both nations “recognize and respect the right of either country to build a physical barrier or wall.”

But when it came to the central promise of his campaign — that Mexico would pay for the wall — Trump and Peña Nieto disagreed. During the news conference, Trump said it didn’t come up during their discussion. Later, on Twitter, Peña Nieto said he had made clear to Trump at the beginning of their conversation that “Mexico will not pay for the wall,” a comment that prompted ridicule from the Clinton campaign.

Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta pounced: “It turns out Trump didn’t just choke, he got beat in the room and lied about it.”

“Donald Trump has made his outlandish policy of forcing Mexico to pay for his giant wall the centerpiece of his campaign,” Podesta said. “But at the first opportunity to make good on his offensive campaign promises, Trump choked. What we saw today from a man who claims to be the ultimate ‘deal maker’ is that he doesn’t have the courage to advocate for his campaign promises when he’s not in front of a friendly crowd.”

Trump’s campaign responded in kind, with senior communications adviser Jason Miller insisting Wednesday’s meeting was only the opening part of a discussion and relationship-builder between both men.

“It was not a negotiation, and that would have been inappropriate,” Miller said. “It is unsurprising that they hold two different views on this issue, and we look forward to continuing the conversation.”