Trump gestures at a news conference near the U.S.-Mexico border outside of Laredo, Texas, July 23, 2015. (Photo: Rick Wilking/Reuters)

Less than a week after securing the delegates needed to capture the Republican nomination, Donald Trump took to Twitter to thank the union that represents the U.S. Border Patrol agents for endorsing him for president.

“The endorsement of me by the 16,500 Border Patrol Agents was the first time that they ever endorsed a presidential candidate,” Trump tweeted on Monday. “Nice!”

The endorsement of me by the 16,500 Border Patrol Agents was the first time that they ever endorsed a presidential candidate. Nice! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2016





Trump’s vow to build a wall along the U.S. southern border and have Mexico pay — a controversial plan he unveiled during the announcement of his White House bid — has become a signature issue of the real estate mogul’s campaign.

“We are going to have strong borders,” Trump said during a speech at the annual Rolling Thunder rally in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. “We are going to have a wall, and I mean a real wall.”

And to Trump, the National Border Patrol Council’s endorsement — which was announced in March — is proof his plan for a wall is necessary.

In getting the endorsement of the 16,500 Border Patrol Agents (thank you), the statement was made that the WALL was very necessary! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2016





“Mr. Trump is correct when he says immigration wouldn’t be at the forefront of this presidential campaign if months ago he hadn’t made some bold and necessary statements,” Brandon Judd, the union’s president, said in a statement announcing its “first-ever” presidential endorsement. “And when the withering media storm ensued he did not back down one iota. That tells you the measure of a man. When the so-called experts said he was too brash and outspoken, and that he would fade away, they were proven wrong. We are confident they will be proven wrong again in November when he becomes President of the United States.”

Story continues

Also read: Trump: ‘Illegal immigrants are taken much better care of by this country than our veterans’

“There is no greater physical or economic threat to Americans today than our open border,” the endorsement continued. “And there is no greater political threat than the control of Washington by special interests. In view of these threats, the National Border Patrol Council endorses Donald J. Trump for President — and asks the American people to support Mr. Trump in his mission to finally secure the border of the United States of America, before it is too late.”

The union’s backing of Trump has come under fire from critics who say it is endorsing not only his immigration plan but also his hateful rhetoric.

“It is probable that the endorsement of Mr. Trump would expose both the union and the individual members to accusations of xenophobia and even racism,” Don McDermott, a former Border Patrol agent, told the Los Angeles Times. “The reputation of the agency and of every agent is called into question.”