Donald Trump Is Headed to the US-Mexico Border
He is taking the trip amid rising poll numbers.
— -- Unlike Des Moines, Iowa and Manchester, New Hampshire, Laredo, Texas isn’t a typical stop on the presidential campaign trail.
Unless you are Donald Trump.
The town on the U.S.-Mexico border will become the center of attention Thursday when the Republican presidential candidate stops by for a visit.
But the border union that was expected to host Trump announced on Thursday morning that they're backing out. Trump was going to meet with the union and tour the border.
"Our intentions to meet with Mr. Trump was to provide a 'Boots on the Ground' perspective to not only Mr. Trump, but to the media that would be in attendance at this event," the National Border Patrol Council Local 2455 wrote in a statement. "Just to be clear, an endorsement was never discussed for any presidential candidate."
Still, Trump says the trip is on. He is scheduled to land around 1 p.m. A campaign spokesperson tells ABC News that Trump plans to meet with the mayor and police department of Laredo, Texas.
The billionaire business mogul whose controversial comments about Mexican immigrants have been the talk of the campaign in recent weeks will receive a briefing from Hector Garza, president of the local chapter of the National Border Patrol Council, according to Trump's campaign.
Trump’s visit to the town, where the population is over 90 percent Hispanic, will begin with a town hall meeting in which law enforcement officers will give The Donald their own views on the situation at the border. Trump also plans to hold a news conference.
Since first receiving backlash last month for saying in his announcement speech that Mexico is sending criminals and rapists into the United States, Trump has discussed immigration at length in interviews and in speeches.
Trump will not be the first candidate in the GOP field to visit the border, however.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry made a number of trips to the border during his time as governor of Texas; Cruz visited the border in June, receiving a briefing from U.S. Border Patrol; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker made a similar trip earlier this year, in March.
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