Ahead of his speech on immigration policy, Donald Trump said in a tweet that he has accepted an invitation to travel to Mexico to meet the country's president on Wednesday.
The Republican presidential nominee was confirming a Washington Post story, which cited unnamed sources in the U.S. and Mexico as saying that Trump was considering a trip to Mexico. The official account of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who not too long ago likened Trump to Hitler and Mussolini, also confirmed the meeting.
The planned visit will come just ahead of the Republican presidential candidate's closely watched speech in Arizona on Wednesday to clarify his immigration policy, after weeks of wavering on whether he would hew to a hard line on cracking down on illegal immigrants, a key driver of support for his campaign.
Sources told the Post on Tuesday that talks between the Trump campaign and Mexican officials were ongoing, with logistics and security issues still being arranged.
Tweet from Mexican President's office
The Republican presidential nominee's positions on immigration and trade have created tension with the U.S.' southern neighbor, as well as weighed upon amid fears of a trade war.
In an effort to play to anti-immigration sentiment in the U.S., Trump has repeatedly accused Mexican illegal immigrants of committing crimes, as well as claiming that if elected president, he would ditch trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes Mexico.
Trump has also said he planned to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and make Mexico pay for it by confiscating money transfers from the U.S. to Mexico.
After news of the Mexico visit emerged, Jennifer Palmieri, the communications director for Hillary Clinton's campaign, noted Trump's history of derogatory statements about Mexicans and his vows to deport 16 million people, including some who are U.S. citizens.
"What ultimately matters is what Donald Trump says to voters in Arizona, not Mexico, and whether he remains committed to the splitting up of families and deportation of millions," Palmieri said in a statement.
"From the first days of his campaign, Donald Trump has painted Mexicans as 'rapists' and criminals."