NEW YORK: Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has defended his immigration plan that would deport all immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Trump’s critics say the idea is impractical and would cost $400 billion to $600bn.

Trump retorted that the country is already paying too high a price for illegal immigration.

“It’s costing us $130 billion a year and that’s peanuts compared to what the real cost is,” he said.

Trump, the New York billionaire, has also called for a wall along the nation’s southern border — and to have Mexico pay for it — and said that “really good” immigrants would be expedited back into the country.

Trump has also called for ending automatic citizenship for the babies of immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Republican opponent Jeb Bush and other critics say Trump’s plan won’t work and will further alienate Hispanic voters who have supported Democrats in recent elections.

“Trump’s positions are deeply out-of-step with the Alabama way of life,” said an email to voters from the Bush campaign before Trump’s meeting in Alabama.

His dominance of the race is forcing other candidates to respond to the Trump phenomenon in one way or another.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2015

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