© Reuters/Jorge DueesA U.S. Marine sets up a barricade with concertina wire, at the border between Mexico and the U.S., in preparation for the arrival of migrants, in Tijuana, Mexico Nov. 13, 2018.
"Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A. We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!"
The president's tweet came the morning after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents clashed with a group of migrants who rushed the southern border.
CBP on Sunday shut down the busy San Ysidro port of entry near San Diego, Calif. as the migrants approached. Tensions flared further when dozens of migrants broke away from a larger group to try and breach the border.
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CBP said in a statement that officers fired tear gas into the crowd after attempted illegal crossings and after some migrants threw rocks at border agents.
Photos quickly circulated on Twitter of women and children fleeing the tear gas, providing a stark contrast to Trump's repeated claims that the group of migrants is filled with "criminals" and "thugs."
Hundreds of migrants have been camped out in Tijuana, Mexico, as they wait to enter the U.S. Many are fleeing violence and poverty in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Trump has said those migrants will remain in Mexico while their asylum claims are processed by the U.S.
The president has for weeks painted the so-called caravan of Central American migrants as an imminent security threat. He has vowed to close down the border, deployed thousands of troops in to the border in anticipation of the groups arrival, and signed a proclamation blocking certain immigrants from claiming asylum.
A federal judge last week blocked the latter move.
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