The Vice President of the United States has visited the border between Calexico (California) and Mexico to inspect the construction of a new border wall and interact with Border Patrol officers.
Mike Pence's visit to Calexico came a day after dozens of migrants in a caravan - that started with 1500 people from Central America at Tapachula - arrived at the international border seeking asylum.
"Men, women and children like those gathered at our border today are exploited by human smugglers and criminal and drug cartels who seize on their hardship and difficulty to undermine our laws and profit for themselves," Pence said in a speech before members of the Border Patrol at the El Centro military base.
Pence also visited the area where work is under way to replace the existing border fence between Calexico and Mexico that was installed in the 1990s.
Border Patrol Chief Varla Provost presented Pence with a piece of the metal used in one of the sections that had been replaced.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
During his address to the Border Patrol, Pence reiterated the federal government's commitment to building the promised border wall.
"When it comes to the border wall, we're going to build it all," he said.
He went on to urge Congress to plug legal loopholes that were exploited by traffickers, such as the "catch-and-release program or asylum policies that don't require people to stay in the first safe country in which they arrive".
He also criticised the policies of "sanctuary cities," for their limited collaboration between the police and the immigration authorities.
Pence's visit comes a month after US President Donald Trump visited the border between San Diego (US) and Tijuana (Mexico) to inspect eight prototypes for the wall.
