The Mexican Senate as well as candidates for that country's presidency are blasting President Donald Trump's plan to send National Guard troops to the border of the U.S. and Mexico for security.
"Trump's conduct has been permanently and systematically, not only disrespectful, but insulting, based on prejudices and misinformation and making frequent use of threats and blackmail," said Laura Rojas, head of the Mexican Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, Reuters reported.
The Mexican foreign ministry warned that any escalation could hurt relations between Mexico and the U.S.
"In all communications on the topic, the Mexican government has informed the U.S. government that if the planned deployment of the National Guard results in the militarization of the border, it would seriously damage the bilateral relationship," the ministry said in a statement.
Jose Antonio Meade, the candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party in the presidential election July 1, called for candidates to come together to condemn National Guard troops on the border.
"I call for all political forces to unanimously show our strongest condemnation of these types of aggressions," he said.
The front-runner in the Mexican presidency, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, weighed in on the issue in a tweet.
"No to the militarization of the border, no to the wall. Yes to mutual respect and cooperation for development," he tweeted.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has said that the Trump administration is working with four southwestern states to deploy the Guard troops, Reuters reported.