The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said Wednesday that President Trump is jumping the gun by calling for an end to the diversity visa lottery program, even after reports said that the man who killed eight people in New York Tuesday night entered the country through that program.
“I think it’s kind of absurd, in the hours after this terrible attack to be using it as a fulcrum for a debate that has been going on in Congress for completely different reasons,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said on MSNBC.
“There are legitimate reasons to look at how much should be take … new immigrants on the basis of diversity, how much on the basis of merit,” he said. “There are lots of considerations there.”
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that the suspect entered the U.S. through the diversity program, which is aimed at letting people in from countries that aren’t represented as much in immigration patterns. Trump reiterated his push for a merit-based system, and said, “no more Democrat Lottery Systems.”
We are fighting hard for Merit Based immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get MUCH tougher (and smarter). @foxandfriends
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017
Trump said Tuesday night he had already ordered the Department of Homeland Security to “step up” its “extreme vetting program” in light of the attack.
But Schiff said he doubted tougher efforts to vet immigrants, or restrict them in any way, would be effective.
“It’s hard to see, particularly when some of the folks like those who were involved in the Boston bombing came here as young people or as children, or as really teenagers, it’s hard to see how you can vet against that,” he said.
“Or people that are second generation. How do you vet for the next generation? Obviously, you can’t,” Schiff said.
“I think we ought to dispassionately look at what happened here, what are the facts, what are the policy implications,” he added. “But it’s so early, I think it’s very hazardous to draw conclusions at this point.”
