WESLACO – The president held a surprise briefing Thursday afternoon.

He invited three members of the National Border Patrol Council to speak about the border wall.

The president spoke about the need for the wall and said thousands of people with criminal histories were attempting to come into the U.S. illegally.

"This group has apprehended 17,000 criminals trying to get across the border – 17,000. And that's one category, there are many others," Trump said.

Border Patrol data reports a different number compared to Customs and Border Protection.

In fiscal year 2018, the Border Patrol reported they apprehended 6,259 with criminal histories.

The report also says, at that time, the majority of people trying to cross the border illegally who have criminal convictions came through the ports of entry.

Last year, the Office of Field Operations encountered 10,572 people with criminal histories.

The number of people with prior convictions caught by Border Patrol during FY 2018 showed a decline since FY 2016.

National Border Patrol Council members stated they are supporting the idea of a wall or similar infrastructure.

They countered reports of its effectiveness with what they've seen on the ground.