Here's how Donald Trump thinks he can force Mexico to pay for his wall

Trump has a &quot;plan&quot; for how Mexico will pay for his &quot;wall&quot;.

(Image credit: Darren Hauck/Getty Images)

published 5 April 2016

Donald Trump has claimed he will make Mexico pay for a border wall, but he's never actually given details on how he would get America's southern neighbor to foot the bill. In a two-page memo reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday, Trump finally outlined his plan to pressure Mexico into making the payment — by cutting off the flow of money from immigrants sent back home.

The plan, which is questionable both legally and politically according to the Post, would effectively decimate the Mexican economy by stemming billions of dollars in money transfers, or remittances, sent over the border. Trump would only allow money transfers to continue if Mexico made "a onetime payment of $5-10 billion," according to his memo.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

The odds of success for Trump’s proposal to pay for such a wall also are fraught with challenges. Although there is a shortcut in the Administrative Procedure Act that allows for "interim" regulations that take effect immediately without going through the regular public notice and comment process, there are limitations on that authority.Based on the process for changes laid out in the Federal Register, Trump as president could potentially invoke a change by making the argument that illegal immigration is an emergency that must be addressed immediately or is a threat to public health or safety. [The Washington Post]

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox