While nerves are still raw from a failed terrorist act, Donald Trump is using the actions of the man who tried to set off a bomb in a New York Subway as the reason for curtailing a crucial immigration policy that reunited families.
“It is shameful to use moments of tragedy to scapegoat all immigrants and push for unrelated policies that would drastically harm immigrant communities while doing nothing for improving national security,” said a statement from Asian Americans Advancing Justice. “We condemn the attack and extend sympathies to the people injured yesterday.”
Akayed Ullah, who’s accused of trying to set off a home-made bomb in the subway, relocated to the U.S. from Bangladesh in 2011. The bomb went off but did far less damage than he expected. The most injured three nearby commuters, but severely injured Ullah.
The federal government Monday charged Ullah with trying to use a bomb to commit a terrorist act.
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Trump wants to revise the country’s chain migration policy, popular with Asian immigrants because it allows immigrants to sponsor other close relatives’ entry into the U.S.
“Today’s terror suspect entered our country through extended-family chain migration, which is incompatible with national security,” he said in a White House statement on Monday (Dec. 11).
“Two-thirds of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are immigrants, and 92 percent of Asian Americans are immigrants or the children of immigrants. The majority of Asian immigrants entered the U.S. through the family-based immigration system, and many Asian immigrants that come on employment-based (so called “merit-based”) visas are invested in their jobs and communities because they are able to use the family-based system to reunite with their family members.
“The administration’s attempt to use the attack is a blatant attempt to undermine immigrant families and communities. The more than 43 million immigrants living in the U.S., including their families, enrich our economy and society,” stated AAAJ.
“We call on Congress to reject the administration’s scapegoating of immigrant families and to swiftly pass the clean DREAM Act.”
According to authorities, 27-year old Ullah entered the U.S. on an F43 visa issued on the basis he has a family connection to an American citizen. He is a legal permanent resident, a step towards full citizenship.
Law enforcement officials have not announced a motive for Ullah’s act, but the investigation continues.
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