Ryan also defended his efforts to pass an immigration overhaul, saying that the legislation should secure the border, and having verified that it was secure, change legal immigration programs to meet labor shortages in the United States.

“For the undocumenteds, I’d give a probationary period,” he told a group of Hillsdale College students. “I’d have people earn their way toward just a work permit by putting them on probation. they’d waive their right an appeal. They’d sign an affidavit that they broke the law. They’d pay a fine, do a background check, they’d have to learn civics, learn English — basically assimilate; can’t be on welfare, and have to work, and can’t have a criminal record, of course. They’d have to do that for five years. And until, if and until, the government gets it’s border secure and all these security measures, they can’t get out of probation until the government has done it’s job securing the border. Then, after five years, if they did everything right on their terms of probation, give them a work permit just to be able to work, just like a guest worker program.”

Such a process would not be an “amnesty,” Ryan argued.