EVERETT, Wash. (AP) – In a surprise move, Donald Trump is considering traveling to Mexico on Wednesday, just hours before delivering a highly anticipated speech on immigration, according to a campaign official.
The discussions about a possible last-minute trip come as Trump seeks to clarify his stand on illegal immigration, a contentious issue that has been a centerpiece of his Republican presidential campaign. Trump has long called for deporting people currently living in the U.S. illegally and building a wall along the country’s border with Mexico.
But in meetings recently with Hispanic supporters, Trump has suggested he could be open to changing the hardline approach he outlined during the GOP primaries. After one such roundtable this month, his new campaign manager said Trump’s stance on deportations was “to be determined.”
In the days since, Trump and his staff have broadcast varied and conflicting messages, with Trump himself saying one day he might be open to “softening” his stance, and days later saying he might, in fact, be “hardening.”
Last week, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto – who has been critical of Trump’s insistence that Mexico would pay for the wall – invited both the Republican nominee and Democrat Hillary Clinton to visit his country. His office says the invitation was well received, but meetings with the candidates have not been confirmed.