Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would increase fees on some Mexican visas and all border crossing cards as part of a broader plan to force Mexico to pay for a wall along the southern U.S. border.
Trump, under fire for not giving specifics on his immigration plan, has published a detailed plan
on his campaign website.
Trump has said in the past he would build a wall across the entire border with Mexico and force the Mexican government to pay for it. Critics have said he won't be able to achieve that, but Trump's position paper lays out courses of action if Mexico does not comply.
They include:
- Impound all remittance payments derived from illegal wages
- Increase fees on all temporary visas issued to Mexican CEOs and diplomats (and if necessary cancel them)
- Increase fees on all border crossing cards
- Increase fees on all NAFTA worker visas from Mexico
- Increase fees at ports of entry to the United States from Mexico
Trump, the frontrunner in a crowded Republican field, has made immigration a central plank of his campaign. On NBC's "Meet the Press," he said he would deport all undocumented immigrants and rescind U.S. President Barack Obama's executive orders on immigration.
The orders, if enacted, could protect as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.
The NAFTA agreement of 1994 eliminated most tariff and other barriers to free trade and investment between the United States, Canada and Mexico. It permits the temporary cross-border movement of business travelers within the region.
"The Mexican government has taken the United States to the cleaners," he said. "They are responsible for this problem, and they must help pay to clean it up."
Mexico's foreign ministry declined to comment directly on Trump's proposals but said in an emailed statement that Mexicans make a significant contribution to the United States economy, and that net migration between the two countries reached zero in 2012.
Trump also wants to triple the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, which is at the same level of 5,000 officers as it was before 9/11.
"This will be funded by accepting the recommendation of the Inspector General for Tax Administration and eliminating tax credit payments to illegal immigrants," the position paper says.
Among other plans:
- End birthright citizenship.
- Increase the prevailing wage for H-1B visas.
- Increase standards for refugee-seekers
Trump said he would also place the issuing of green cards to foreign workers on pause so employers would have to hire from the domestic pool of unemployed workers.
"This will help reverse women's plummeting workplace participation rate, grow wages, and allow record immigration levels to subside to more moderate historical averages," he said.
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