In a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, former President Donald Trump reiterated his commitment to securing the nation’s borders and criticized the Biden administration for its handling of the issue.

During an interview with NBC News, Trump emphasized that deporting undocumented immigrants is not only necessary but also cost-effective. “It’ll cost trillions of dollars to keep these people, and I’m talking about in particular starting with the criminals,” he said. “That’s costing us a lot more than deporting. But we have no choice, regardless, we have no choice. We’re going to have to deport.”

When asked about his plans for mixed-status families, where one or both parents are undocumented but their children are U.S. citizens, Trump acknowledged that “provisions will be made” but stressed the need to prioritize removing criminals from the country. “Provisions will be made, but we have to get the criminals out,” he said.

Trump also expressed confidence in the willingness of local law enforcement to assist with mass deportations, despite some having expressed reservations about doing so. “They want to do their job,” Trump said. “The Border Patrol wants to do their job. They would have a much easier job if they didn’t.”

In addition to discussing his border security plans, Trump used the occasion to blast Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden for their handling of the issue. He accused them of unleashing a “deadly plague of migrant crime” in the United States and claimed that they had reversed progress made during his administration. “We had it stopped,” he said. “The first day in they just said, ‘We’re not doing anything, we’re not doing anything.'”

Trump also took aim at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention earlier this week. Trump accused Walz of “lying like hell” during his speech and predicted that Harris would do the same when she accepts the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night.

This visit to the border marks Trump’s first trip to Arizona this year, although he has visited other sections of the border in Texas twice since launching his re-election bid. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, has also visited the Arizona border earlier this year.

Overall, Trump’s comments underscored his commitment to prioritizing border security and his willingness to take a tough stance on immigration enforcement.