Paul Ryan admits there was 'some confusion in the rollout' of President Trump's immigration executive order

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) didn't back off his support for President Trump's immigration executive order while speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, but he did admit the order could have been rolled out a bit more smoothly. "I think it's regrettable there was some confusion in the rollout of this," Ryan said about Trump's order banning people entering the U.S. from seven predominantly Muslim countries. For context, the "confusion" Ryan referred to resulted in green card holders, visa holders, a 5-year-old boy, and an Iraqi who assisted the U.S. military being detained, and many people being pulled off of international flights or sent back to their country of origin.
Ryan insisted Tuesday that "no one wanted to see people with green cards or special immigrant visas, like translators, get caught up in all of this." However, he maintained that Trump "has a responsibility to the security of this country." "We need to pause, and we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff," Ryan said. "There is nothing wrong with taking a pause."
Ryan also indicated he has spoken with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and is "confident that he is, on a going forward basis, going to make sure that things are done correctly."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Alligator Alcatraz will be a blight on the Everglades'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Kirsty Coventry: the former Olympian and first woman to lead the IOC
In the Spotlight Coventry, a former competitive swimmer, won two Olympic gold medals
-
Critics' choice: Carrying the flag
Feature The best barbecue in town, Bradley Cooper's cheesesteak restaurant, and more
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from
-
Judges order release of 2 high-profile migrants
Speed Read Kilmar Ábrego García is back in the US and Mahmoud Khalil is allowed to go home — for now
-
US assessing bomb damage to Iran nuclear sites
Speed Read Trump claims this weekend's US bombing obliterated Tehran's nuclear program, while JD Vance insists the US is 'not at war with Iran'
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday