Senator Marco Rubio weighed in on the question of whether a wall is needed on the border between the U.S. and Mexico Friday. The senator also addressed the issue of who should pay for it.
"I've always believed we need a physical barrier," Rubio said after attending a roundtable talk with citrus farmers in Immokalee. "It helps to funnel traffic. And it's not just for people, it's for drugs and everything else."
But he said the wall would not have a drastic impact on illegal immigration.
"In Florida, 70% of people here illegally came on an airplane," Rubio said. "They overstayed a visa. The wall isn't going to address that."
After a diplomatic standoff over the proposed wall soured relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, the two presidents spoke by phone Firday. Both indicated that the call had cooled tensions, but each stood their ground on who would pay for the wall: Trump insists that Mexico would foot the bill, while Pena Nieto maintains that his country will do no such thing.
Senator Rubio suggested Friday that the U.S could handle the costs.
"The immigration reform proposal that we took on in 2013 had significant investiture and investment of funds," Rubio said. "Not just for a physical barrier, but more personnel, more technology, and an entry/exit tracking system."
He said any deportation efforts should start with violent criminals.
"We have immigration laws," Rubio said. "They should be enforced. But the priority should always be, and I believe will be, dangerous criminals who pose a public safety threat."
Rubio also addressed the issue of putting tariffs on Mexican goods exported to the U.S., saying it would only increase prices for American consumers who buy those items.
