Following the New York attack, President Donald Trump promised to put an end to the non merit-base immigration program which enabled the terrorist to come to the United States, saying that “animals” like him should be sent to Guantanamo Bay.
Namely, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program allowed Sayfullo Saipov to come to the U.S. from Uzbekistan. Trump also called for harsh justice, and a worse punishment than what such attackers usually get. The White House said on Wednesday they considered Saipov an enemy combatant, which is exactly what is required for him to be sent to Guantanamo Bay.
“I believe we would consider this person to be an enemy combatant, yes,” Sarah Sanders said.
Regardless, such a move may not be completely legal considering that Saipov was a resident of the United States. Sanders pointed out that the president was not “advocating for it”, but would certainly support sending the terrorist to Guantanamo Bay. On Tuesday afternoon, Saipov killed eight people and injured another twelve after he plowed onto a bicycle lane with a pickup truck. After the attack Trump severely criticized the diversity immigration program as well as similar one which allow immigrants into the country provided that a relative of theirs already lives there.
“We will take all of the necessary steps to take care of our communities and our country has a whole. What we have now is a joke and a laughingstock,” Trump also said.
What he is demanding is that foreigners are only permitted into the United States under merit-base programs. Some House Republicans also criticized the diversity visa program.
“I’ve always been against it because it’s a random system to bring people into the United States,” Representative Mike McCaul said on Wednesday.
The chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security added that he is making attempts to terminate the program, pointing out that Saipov’s case only proves it “is absolutely necessary”.
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