Chris Christie unveiled a four-point plan to strengthen border security Saturday at the Iowa State Fair, just one day after Donald Trump gathered thousands of supporters in Alabama to tout his own plan to tackle illegal immigration.
The New Jersey governor said he would enforce laws that require employers to verify the citizenship status of their workers, put more agents at the border, surveil the border with drones and put up a fence along urban areas, according to The Hill.
Christie advocated for strengthening border patrol’s ranks by adding agents from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Republican presidential candidate highlighted the issue of widespread employment for illegal immigrants, noting that fewer people would cross the border illegally if they knew finding work would be difficult.
Christie also pushed for an increase use of drones along the border, in part to determine where to allocate law enforcement resources.
Trump’s proposal gained national attention after he said he would rescind birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, among other steps to secure the border.
Most of the other GOP candidates criticized Trump’s plan as too heavy-handed and unrealistic. Trump’s proposal, unlike Christie’s, called for building a wall along the entirety of the southern border.
