• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Leadership

Donald Trump Pivots Back on Immigration in Arizona Speech

By
Zeke J Miller
Zeke J Miller
,
Tessa Berenson
Tessa Berenson
,
TIME
TIME
, and
Michelle Toh
Michelle Toh
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Zeke J Miller
Zeke J Miller
,
Tessa Berenson
Tessa Berenson
,
TIME
TIME
, and
Michelle Toh
Michelle Toh
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 1, 2016, 3:04 AM ET
Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Delivers Speech On Immigration
Donald Trump, 2016 Republican presidential nominee, speaks during a campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Trump returned to form in Phoenix Wednesday night with a nativist immigration plan definitively ruling out legal status for undocumented immigrants, as well as proposing to build a wall on the southern border of the United States and forcing Mexico to cover the cost. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDavid Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

Donald Trump left no doubt Wednesday that he would end his campaign as he began it, promising to build a wall paid for by Mexico, deport millions of people in the U.S. illegally and stoking fears about those in the country without legal status. Outlining in the finest detail yet his immigration plans in Phoenix, Trump made clear that there would be no general election pivot, none of the “softening” he promised just weeks ago.

“Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation,” Trump told a rowdy crowd of supporters in the Republican-leaning state. “That is what it means to have laws and a country.”

The speech capped a head-spinning month for the Republican nominee, who has struggled to appeal to the more diverse general electorate without upsetting the hawkish base that propelled him to the top of the GOP ticket. After spending the month of August publicly pondering a shift on immigration, Trump outlined a 10-point plan Wednesday evening that was a greatest hits compilation of his most polarizing and by his own admission “extreme” statements, including creating a deportation task force, suspending immigration from certain countries and creating an ideological test for potential immigrants.

See also: Four Unpleasant Things That Are More Popular Than Donald Trump

Rather than trying to expand his appeal to new voters, his immigration plan was a paean to the same fervent base that had begun to doubt his commitment to his signature campaign issue.

The speech was delivered the same day as Trump’s hastily-organized meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, which was designed to help supporters and swing voters envision him as president. The tone of the two statements, hours apart, could hardly have been more different, as the previously sedate Trump, who espoused respect for Mexican-Americans as “spectacular hard-working people” who are “beyond reproach,” later that same day suggested that many were criminals and called once again for the forcible removal of those in the U.S. illegally.

Hours after being told by Peña Nieto that Mexico would not pay for a border wall, Trump repeated the promise to his crowd in Phoenix. Still, he changed his tune in other ways after the meeting. “In the end we’re all going to win. Both countries. We’re all going to win,” Trump said Wednesday night of negotiations with Mexico. During his announcement speech in June 2015, however, he had cast the relationship as a zero-sum game. “When do we beat Mexico at the border?” he said. “They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me.”

See also: Business the Donald Trump Way

Along with the deportation force and the border wall, the plan Trump outlined includes limits on legal immigration and the prioritization of deportations for millions who have committed other crimes, benefit from government assistance programs, or who have overstayed their visas. Trump, who said he is opposed to “amnesty,” said there would be no legal status for any of the 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. unless they first “return home” and re-apply for entry. “No one will be immune and exempt from enforcement,” he said. Trump also proposed “detainers” to allow law enforcement to hold and initiate deportation proceedings against any person in the U.S. illegally who is arrested even before they are convicted. He also suggested he would model his plan on the Eisenhower-era “Operation Wetback,” which saw the deportation of more than 1 million people in the U.S. to Mexico, often without due process.

Trump’s new plan came after weeks of confusion and mixed messaging on his immigration policies. Starting after Trump all-but tied up the Republican nomination in May, advisors surrounding the candidate began pushing for him to moderate his hardline immigration stance and support for forced deportation. His brash, anti-immigrant rhetoric may have helped propel him to a primary victory, but top aides wanted him to adopt a more centrist tone to win over a more diverse general electorate.

At the Republican convention in Cleveland in July, Trump struck his usual nativist tone, emphasizing stories of undocumented immigrants who had committed violent crimes in the U.S. But weeks later in August, the message started to change. Trump began making overt pitches to minority voters in his campaign speeches, and on August 20 he met with Hispanic leaders in a newly announced Hispanic advisory council. The following day, Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who was promoted specifically to help stabilize and manage Trump, said on CNN that his support for forced deportations was “to be determined.”

See also: Here’s What Donald Trump Plans to Do If He Loses the Election

Two days later, after a frenzy of headlines about Conway’s remark, Trump sparked even more speculation about a serious reconsideration of his position: he told Fox News’s Sean Hannity that he’d be open to “softening” his stance. “There certainly can be a softening because we’re not looking to hurt people,” Trump said in the taped town hall on August 23. But even Trump seemed confused about what to say; he polled the audience at the taping about what he should do. After asking the audience who wanted undocumented immigrants “thrown out” and who wanted to allow them to stay, he said, “This is sort of like a poll. And this is what I’m getting all over the country, please, please—we are going to come out with a decision very soon.”

His “softening” comment drew the ire of even his most devoted fans such as conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who, in a cruel twist of fate, had published a book released that very day which said in the opening pages, “There’s nothing Trump can do that won’t be forgiven. Except change his immigration policies.” (Still, she did forgive him after Wednesday’s speech.) Trump’s team resorted to awkward verbal gymnastics to maintain order. Spokesperson Katrina Pierson told CNN, “He hasn’t changed his position. He has changed the words he is saying.”

See also: Is Donald Trump Racist? Here’s What the Record Shows

Despite Trump telling Hannity he would have a decision “very soon,” his campaign had already canceled his immigration speech, which was due to be held that Thursday, and postponed it for a week. Then, in one final shakeup hours before he was set to deliver it, Trump announced the trip to Mexico.

But the speech Trump ended up delivering Wednesday brought him back to where he started, with discussions of a deportation force and Mexico paying for a border wall. The pivot he’d been hinting at for weeks turned him back 360 degrees, and a muddled summer turned out to have been mere misdirection. It was as though the past few weeks had never happened.

About the Authors
By Zeke J Miller
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Tessa Berenson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Michelle Toh
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Sven Gerjets, chief technology officer at Gap, speaks on stage on a panel at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
Future of WorkBrainstorm Tech
Why companies are treating AI as a strategic partner rather than a passive technology, and how to avoid an ‘AI hangover’
By Sebastian HerreraJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago
Elon Musk stands behind the Nasdaq opening bell and in front of a "SpaceX" background.
Future of WorkElon Musk
Despite his new trillionaire status, Elon Musk says money ‘will stop being relevant’ in the future because of AI
By Sasha RogelbergJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
arms
HealthPsychology
You probably think you’re a really open-minded person, but the real thing raises your death anxiety
By Daryl Van Tongeren and The ConversationJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
AI was supposed to cut health care costs. One of its first jobs was charging you more, PwC report shows
AIHealth Care Service
AI was supposed to cut health care costs. One of its first jobs was charging you more, PwC report shows
By Whizy Kim and Tech BrewJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Man in a blue shirt gesturing
AIBrainstorm Tech
AOL cofounder Steve Case on AI— major upside, real risk, and ‘probably a net negative’ for jobs
By Amanda GerutJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
On the day of a historic IPO, SpaceX’s president is already hinting at a Tesla merger: ‘That might make Elon Musk’s life a little easier’
C-SuiteSpaceX
On the day of a historic IPO, SpaceX’s president is already hinting at a Tesla merger: ‘That might make Elon Musk’s life a little easier’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 12, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
12 hours ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.