Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, wants to secure the borders of the United States by creating robust defenses and embarking on a massive overhaul of the nation’s immigration policies in order to prevent drug cartels, criminals and extremists from being able to enter the country.
The plan was part of a strategy for national security that Ryan unveiled on Thursday, and is a key aspect of a blueprint for a broader policy that he is developing in a bid to unite Republicans in the wake of the controversial Presidential campaign that has been waged by Donald Trump. The plan’s focus on border security and immigration aligns with one of the Trump campaign’s key policies; although Ryan has rejected Trump’s desire to temporarily put a halt to all Muslim immigration to the United States.
Ryan’s strategy states that the United States needs to finally secure the border via the acceleration of the deployment of air assets, fencing, personnel and technology, adding that the immigration system also needs to be overhauled for the sake of national security. Ryan claims that the US has failed repeatedly to get rid of severe vulnerabilities within the country’s immigration system, such as the lack of verification as to whether those on temporary US visas actually depart when those visas expire.
Ryan’s plan also contains serious criticism of President Barack Obama, slamming for him for what he describes as a failed foreign policy.