DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry says building a wall is not the best way to secure the U.S. border and halt illegal immigration.
Speaking Wednesday at the Iowa State Fair, the Republican presidential hopeful said he would secure the border through more guards, fencing and air patrols.
Perry was responding to a new immigration plan from 2016 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, which includes a permanent border wall and a plan to end citizenship rights for children born to families living illegally in the country.
Perry noted that changing citizenship rules would require amending the Constitution and said he would prefer to focus on border security to prevent illegal immigration in the first place.
Perry, who recently stopped paying staff due to limited resources, also said his campaign fundraising has improved.