MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s government on Wednesday slammed U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s proposals to deport undocumented immigrants en masse and make Mexicans pay for a wall separating the two countries as absurd, racist and ignorant.
Launching his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in New York in June, Trump accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug runners across the United States’ southern border and pledged to build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out.
Over the weekend, Trump said he would increase fees on some Mexican visas and all border crossing cards as part of a broader plan to make Mexico pay for the barrier. He also said he would deport millions of undocumented migrants.
“We continue to stand by our position that these comments reflect prejudice, racism or plain ignorance,” Mexico’s foreign ministry said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.
“Anyone who understands the depth of the US-Mexico relationship realizes that those proposals are not only prejudiced and absurd, but would be detrimental to the well-being of both societies.”
Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade had condemned Trump’s statements as colored by prejudice, racism and ignorance in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper last month. Other Mexican government officials have also criticized Trump.
A spokesman for the Mexican presidency said on Tuesday he had no comment on Trump’s latest proposals.
(Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Simon Gardner and Jonathan Oatis)
Photo: U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures after arriving for jury duty at Manhattan Supreme Court in New York, August 17, 2015. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
