UPDATE 1-Mexican president says discussed joint program on migration with Trump

Illegal immigration was a central theme of Trump's presidential bid, and he repeatedly invoked the issue ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections and deployed some 5,800 U.S. troops to the border.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spoke by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday and discussed the issue of migration, he said in a tweet.

The two leaders discussed the possibility of creating a joint program for development and job creation in Central America and Mexico, Lopez Obrador said.

Thousands of migrants are living in crowded shelters and encampments in Tijuana after traveling from Central America to escape poverty and violence. They may have to wait weeks or months to claim asylum at the U.S. border.

Illegal immigration was a central theme of Trump's presidential bid, and he repeatedly invoked the issue ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections and deployed some 5,800 U.S. troops to the border.