US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay for the border wall he plans to build if he is elected, in a speech delivered after talks with Mexico's president.
"Mexico will pay for the wall, believe me," Mr Trump said. "They don't know it yet, but they're going to pay for the wall."
Speaking in Phoenix, Arizona, the billionaire businessman also laid out his immigration plan that includes deporting immigrants with criminal records and cancelling President Barack Obama's executive orders protecting millions of undocumented immigrants.
Hours earlier, Mr Trump met Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto but said the two did not discuss who would pay for the wall.
But Mr Peña Nieto contradicted Mr Trump by tweeting that he told the Republican nominee in their meeting that Mexico would not fund the construction.
Al inicio de la conversación con Donald Trump dejé claro que México no pagará por el muro.
— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) August 31, 2016
In his speech in Phoenix, Mr Trump laid out a grim, sweeping nationalist plan to dramatically slash illegal immigration, a main plank of his presidential campaign.
"It's our right as a sovereign nation to choose immigrants that we think are most likely to thrive and flourish and love us," he said.
"Our enforcement priorities will include removing criminals, gang members, security threats, visa overstays, public charges - that is those relying on public welfare or straining the safety net along with millions of recent illegal arrivals and overstays who have come here under this current corrupt administration."
Mr Trump demanded an end to what he called "catch-and-release" programmes along the country's southern border, enforcement of existing immigration law, and "zero tolerance for criminal aliens."
"We will be fair, just and compassionate to all," he stressed. "But our greatest compassion must be for our American citizens."
