WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the country's military is being mobilized at southern border with Mexico, in another effort to deter members of a caravan of Central American migrants from reaching the border.
"Many more troops coming. We will NOT let these Caravans, which are also made up of some very bad thugs and gang members, into the U.S.," Trump said in a tweet without providing any evidence.
"Our Border is sacred, must come in legally. TURN AROUND!" the tweet read.
The comments followed a Pentagon announcement earlier this week that 5,200 troops would be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border to support law enforcement activities and help stop what the Trump called an "invasion" by Central American migrants.
The president is doubling down his hardline stance on immigration, an issue he's trying to place center and front in the November midterm elections, which could see Democrats seizing control of at least part of the Republican-held Congress.
According to an interview with Axios, released in part on Tuesday, Trump revealed that he plans to end the right to citizenship for babies of non-citizens and unauthorized immigrants, born in the United States.
Birthright citizenship in the country is enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which allows for "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
Trump said he can and will end birthright citizenship with an executive order, though many, including Republicans, were questioning his legal grounds.
"Well you obviously cannot do that," House Speaker Paul Ryan told a local radio station in the state of Kentucky on Tuesday. "You cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order."
Angered by the remarks, Trump tweeted Wednesday that Ryan "should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship."
"Our new Republican Majority will work on this, Closing the Immigration Loopholes and Securing our Border!" the president said in his tweet.
Ryan announced in April that he would not seek re-election in November.
