American and Mexican officials appeared at odds Saturday over the possibility of a deal that could prevent asylum seekers from reaching the United States.

Two Trump administration officials told NBC News that the deal with Mexico’s recently elected government would force asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while U.S. courts process their claims. The officials added that operational and legal details are being worked out, and the deal is still at least few weeks away from going into effect.

But on Saturday afternoon, Jesus Ramirez Cuevas, a spokesman for recently elected Mexican President Andrés Manuel López, denied to NBC News any such agreement and insisted talks of such a deal were premature.

First reported by the Washington Post, the plan is called “Remain in Mexico” and incoming Mexican officials considered it a “short-term solution.”

The plan to keep asylum seekers within Mexican borders would be a change from the current system that allows asylum seekers to remain in the U.S. while their cases are being processed in American courts. Its aim is to deter migrants from coming to the United States.

“The medium- and long-term solution is that people don’t migrate,” Olga Sánchez Cordero, Mexico’s incoming interior secretary, told the Washington Post. “Mexico has open arms and everything, but imagine, one caravan after another after another, that would also be a problem for us.”

In a statement to NBC News later Saturday, Sánchez Cordero denied there was a deal.

“There is no agreement of any kind between the future federal government of Mexico and the United States of America,” she wrote. “The new government will begin its mandate on December 1.”

Sánchez Cordero added that the incoming government would be focused on protecting asylum seekers’ human rights and well being.

“The future government does not consider in its plans that Mexico assumes the status of ‘safe third country’ for the attention of Central American migrants, or of other countries, who are in Mexican territory, or for those who do so in Mexico,” the statement added.

President Trump appeared to address the possible agreement on Twitter Saturday, saying, “Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court.”

“We only will allow those who come into our Country legally,” Trump stated. “Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain. No ‘Releasing’ into the U.S.”

The president added that he would shut down the border “if for any reason it becomes necessary.”

A Trump spokesman said Saturday that the administration is looking forward to working with the incoming Mexican president.

“President Trump has developed a strong relationship with the incoming Obrador Administration, and we look forward to working with them on a wide range of issues,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley.