Trump doubles down on plans for wall along Mexican border

MEDIA GENERAL) – Republican presidential candidate and business tycoon Donald Trump continues to go all in on illegal immigration policy, highlighting a cold-blooded murder last week in San Francisco by a Mexican man who previously had been deported five times.

Since alienating several rival candidates and losing major business partners over comments he made about Latinos during his announcement speech, Trump has doubled down on the United States’ need for strict immigration policies, including building a wall on the Mexican border.

Trump said Friday the fatal shooting of Kathryn Steinle, 32, was “very, very sad,” and he offered his condolences to the woman’s family. In a statement, he referred to Steinle’s death as a “senseless and totally preventable act of violence” and “yet another example of why we must secure our border.”

Then, Trump went on the attack. On Twitter, Trump claimed some rival candidates have had their chances at securing the border and have failed.https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/617705622251917312https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/617710113562972160https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/617460107945857024https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/617112173186314240

“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” Trump said during his June 16 announcement speech, sparking a firestorm of criticism.

Trump continues to lose partnerships in the wake of his anti-immigrant remarks. NBC Universal and Univision pulled the plug on Trump’s Miss America pageant following his speech, and Macy’s no longer will carry his clothing line. According to NBC News, NASCAR is the latest to pull away from Trump, saying it will not hold its season-ending awards ceremony at Trump’s resort in Miami.