McCaul assails ‘diversity’ visas, calls for system based on merit
Austin lawmaker says attack shows change is needed.
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, criticized a visa program that grants “diversity immigrants” entry into the country, after it was reported the program benefited a suspect in Tuesday’s vehicle terror attack in New York.
Sayfullo Saipov, who is suspected of mowing down and killing eight people in lower Manhattan, reportedly entered the U.S. seven years ago from Uzbekistan through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which prioritizes “a class of immigrants known as ‘diversity immigrants,’ from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs website.
McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told a Fox News host Wednesday that the U.S. should have a merit-based program instead of a “lottery system.” He has spoken out in the past against granting visas via lottery.
“I’ve always been against it because it’s a random system to bring people into the United States,” he said. “It’s not merit-based. Completely random.”
President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday: “I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!”
McCaul agreed when asked if Trump was right.
“I think this case just demonstrates why that’s absolutely necessary,” McCaul said.
In August, Trump endorsed an immigration plan that would reduce by half the number of green cards issued and give preference to younger people with advanced degrees, those with high-salary job offers and a great command of the English language.
Trump said he will ask Congress to begin working on legislation to terminate the diversity visa program.
“Sounds nice,” he said about the program. “It’s not nice. It’s not good. It’s not good. It hasn’t been good. We’ve been against it.”
Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the diversity program “establishes an arbitrary, unjustified means to provide a path to the precious privilege of U.S. citizenship.”
“I have long opposed this program and agree with the president that we should examine how to move forward with ending it,” he said in a statement. “As we learn more about this individual in the days and weeks ahead, Congress must be on notice to ensure we respond in a way that protects all Americans from the threat posed by radical Islamic terrorism in the future.”