The first terrorist attack in New York City since 9/11 killed eight and injured others in downtown Manhattan.
The terror suspect, Sayfullo Saipov, is accused of using a rented pickup truck from Home Depot to run over pedestrians on a bike path.
Originally from Uzbekistan, Saipov came to the U.S. under the Diversity Visa Program – a lottery system for immigrants.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is attributed with the idea of creating a lottery system for immigrants in 1990.
President Trump was quick to point out Schumer’s role in creating the diversity lottery for immigrants in a Tweet.
The Hill reports:
President Trump ripped an immigration program, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) role in the measure a day after the deadly terror attack in New York City.
“The terrorist came into our country through what is called the “Diversity Visa Lottery Program,” a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based,” the president said.
President Trump wants to end the diversity lottery system and backed a bill that would eliminate the program.
The Washington Post reports:
Trump appeared with Republican Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.) and David Perdue (Ga.) at the White House to unveil a modified version of a bill the senators first introduced in February to create a “merit-based” immigration system that would put a greater emphasis on the job skills of foreigners over their ties to family in the United States.
The legislation seeks to reduce the annual distribution of green cards awarding permanent legal residence to just over 500,000 from more than 1 million. Trump promised on the campaign trail to take a harder line on immigration, arguing that the growth in new arrivals had harmed job opportunities for American workers.
The Washington Post adds:
The bill would create a point system based on factors such as English ability, education levels and job skills to rank applicants for the 140,000 employment-based green cards distributed annually.
In addition, the senators propose to cap annual refugee admissions at 50,000 and to end a visa diversity lottery that has awarded 50,000 green cards a year, mostly to applicants from African nations.
Earlier this year, Schumer blasted President Trump’s travel ban.
In the wake of the recent terrorist attack, Congress needs to end the diversity lottery program and design a new immigration system.
