Report: NYC Foreign Terror Suspect Entered U.S. with ‘Diversity Visa’ Trump Wants to End


http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/10/31/report-nyc-foreign-terror-suspect-entered-u-s-with-diversity-visa-trump-wants-to-end/

The suspected foreign national terrorist behind the New York City attack that has left at least eight individuals dead came to the United States years ago through the Diversity Visa Lottery, a program that President Trump and pro-American immigration reformers have demanded an end to.

According to ABC New York, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov — the man who allegedly mowed down pedestrians in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City — entered the U.S. in 2010 from Uzbekistan under the Diversity Visa Lottery before obtaining a Green Card.
The Diversity Visa Lottery gives out 50,000 visas every year to foreign nationals from a multitude of countries, including those with known terrorist problems – such as Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Yemen, and Uzbekistan.
Trump, though, along with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), has been calling for an end to the Diversity Visa Lottery program since August. Under the RAISE Act, introduced in February and endorsed by Trump in August, the Diversity Visa Lottery would be eliminated altogether.
The Trump administration took eliminating the Diversity Visa Lottery even more seriously earlier this month when they introduced the president’s immigration priorities, which like the RAISE Act called for the elimination of the program.
In an interview with Breitbart News, Cotton said the Diversity Visa Lottery does not serve the national interest, as it arbitrarily rewards random foreign nationals with visas to come to the U.S.
“The diversity lottery serves no discernible humanitarian or economic interest,” Cotton explained to Breitbart News. “It is a policy that has far outlived its usefulness and it really doesn’t even serve diversity since Europe is one of the primary uses of it. Even in past efforts at amnesty-first comprehensive immigration reform like we saw in 2013 and 2007, most people agree we should eliminate the diversity lottery. I think it’s a policy that has far outlived its usefulness if it ever had any utility and it’s time to eliminate the diversity lottery.”
In 2011, just a year after the New York City foreign terror suspect, Saipov, entered the U.S. from Uzbekistan through the Diversity Visa Lottery, Center for Immigration Studies National Security Policy Director Janice Kephart testified before Congress about the security risks associated with the visa program.
“The Diversity Visa Program is an unfortunate blind spot in our immigration system that has outlived whatever purpose it might have had,” Kephart explained in her testimony in 2011. “The applicants for these 50,000 ‘visa lottery’ immigration slots require few skills. Neither their qualifications nor identity can be properly vetted. The program does not know, really, who these applicants are or their true purpose in coming to the United States. The program is a national security vulnerability and has been used by terrorists and organized criminals to not only enter the United States but to bring others in as well.”
“According to unofficial statements from the State Department, the program is rife with fraud in part because application standards are so low,” Kephart continued. “The program claims to have strict eligibility requirements, but only calls for a high school education or its equivalent or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience.”
“In most of the countries eligible for a diversity visa, neither education nor work experience can be verified, let alone identity,” Kephart stated. “Consular officers in U.S. embassies abroad thus spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to determine if people are who they say they are and actually qualify for the program. Checking watch lists based on names or prior U.S. immigration histories thus often has little bearing on making a solid determination of identity, qualifications, or legitimate national security concerns.”
Democrats, the Republican establishment, the mainstream media, and the big business lobby have slammed the RAISE Act and Trump’s immigration priorities that would eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery, Breitbart News reported.
In a statement following Trump’s detailed list of immigration priorities, Democratic leaders released a statement saying the White House “can’t be serious” with such reforms.
Soon after the Democrats’ statement on Trump’s immigration priorities, the mainstream media followed tune, with NBC News, the New York Times, POLITICO, and the Washington Post slamming the reforms as “hard-line” and a “posion pill.”
Just this week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) admitted that he did not even bother reading Trump’s immigration priorities, calling the 70-point list that included ending the Diversity Visa Lottery “non-starters.”
As Breitbart News reported, the elimination of the Diversity Visa Lottery was supported by Civil Rights icon Barbara Jordan, whose 1995 immigration subcommittee found that the program did not serve the national interest of the American people.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder

Eight dead in terror attack after truck careens down a cycle path near Ground Zero before the male Uzbeki driver, 29, runs off and is shot by cops while waving paintball gun and yelling Allahu Akbar

  • Eight people are dead and 11 people are in hospital in a serious but non life-threatening condition 
  • The truck driver has been named as 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, a citizen of Uzbekistan who has addresses in Florida
  • He mounted the West Side Highway bike path at 3.05 pm on Tuesday afternoon at Houston Street 
  • He then continued southbound for 17 blocks, mowing down pedestrians, runners and cyclists
  • He came to a stop when he crashed into a school bus at Chambers Street and then hopped out of the truck
  • The man was then seen brandishing two fake guns before being shot in the stomach by an NYPD officer
  • He survived and was taken to hospital where he now remains under the supervision of police 
Eight people are dead and 11 have been injured after a truck mounted a bicycle path in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, mowing down cyclists and runners while shouting 'Allahu Akbar'.
The 29-year-old driver, named as Uzbek Sayfullo Saipov, mounted the bicycle path at Houston Street at 3.05pm and drove 17 blocks downtown, knocking down victims before coming to a stop at Chambers Street where he eventually crashed in to a school bus. 
There were two children and two adults inside the bus at the time. They are among the 11 injured people now in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
After coming to a stop in his rented Home Depot truck, the terrorist then emerged from waving a paintball gun in one hand and a pellet gun in the other.
He was shot in the stomach by an on-duty NYPD officer who was at the scene and is now in hospital under police supervision. 
At a press conference at Police Plaza later, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio condemned the attack as a 'cowardly act of terror'. 
Scroll down for video 
The attacker has been named as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov from Florida. Witnesses said he did not resist arrest after being shot in the stomach on Tuesday afternoon 
The attacker has been named as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov from Florida. Witnesses said he did not resist arrest after being shot in the stomach on Tuesday afternoon 
Saipov was seen moments before he was shot trying to flee the scene. He brandished two fake weapons - a pellet gun and a paint gun 

Saipov was seen moments before he was shot trying to flee the scene. He brandished two fake weapons - a pellet gun and a paint gun 
The rented Home Depot truck which plowed through cyclists and runners on a bicycle path on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon 

The rented Home Depot truck which plowed through cyclists and runners on a bicycle path on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon 
The truck mounted the bicycle path on the West Side Highway at Houston Street and drove 17 blocks south, mowing down pedestrians and cyclists, until he came to a stop at Chambers Street beneath the Tribeca bridge 

The truck mounted the bicycle path on the West Side Highway at Houston Street and drove 17 blocks south, mowing down pedestrians and cyclists, until he came to a stop at Chambers Street beneath the Tribeca bridge 
'Based on the information we have, this was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, people going about their lives,' he said. 
President and First Lady Trump both shared their thoughts on the attack on Twitter 
President and First Lady Trump both shared their thoughts on the attack on Twitter 
De Blasio was joined by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who prayed for those killed. 
'It reminds us all how precious life is. They left the house the morning, they were enjoying the beautiful west side of Manhattan on a beautiful fall day and now they will not be returning home. 
'That shock and that pain is going to be very real,' he said. 
NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill confirmed the driver's movements. He would not release his identity or nationality, saying it was too early in the investigation to share such details. 
President Trump acknowledged the attack on Twitter, describing the perpetrator as a 'sick' individual. 
'In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!' he said. 
First Lady Melania Trump, who was in Manhattan when the attack occurred, said: 'My heart breaks for NYC today. 
'Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.'  
He came to a stop by crashing into a school bus after plowing through others on the bike path. There were several children inside the bus and some are feared to have been injured but none are in a critical condition 

He came to a stop by crashing into a school bus after plowing through others on the bike path. There were several children inside the bus and some are feared to have been injured but none are in a critical condition 
The driver eventually came to a stop beneath the Tribeca bridge at Chambers Street where he got out of the car and was shot. The car took with it a large amount of debris from the cycle path and beside it and was smashed in at the front 

The driver eventually came to a stop beneath the Tribeca bridge at Chambers Street where he got out of the car and was shot. The car took with it a large amount of debris from the cycle path and beside it and was smashed in at the front 
Cyclists are among the dead. Above, one victim lies beneath a sheet next to a crumpled Citibike after being hit 

Cyclists are among the dead. Above, one victim lies beneath a sheet next to a crumpled Citibike after being hit 
The scene at a bicycle path on the West Side Highway which the driver is said to have driven down after veering off-road 

The scene at a bicycle path on the West Side Highway which the driver is said to have driven down after veering off-road 
Shattered bicycles on the West Side Highway bike path where six people are feared to have been killed as they were mowed down

Shattered bicycles on the West Side Highway bike path where six people are feared to have been killed as they were mowed down
During the press conference, Mayor De Blasio said the act was 'intended to break' the spirit of New Yorkers. 
'We know this action was intended to break out spirit. But we also know New Yorkers are strong, resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence or an act meant to intimidate us.' 
The annual Halloween Parade will go on as planned despite the atrocity. There will be an increased police presence there tonight in addition to bolstered police patrols across the city in the coming days and week. 
Despite the added security, city officials said there was no evidence that Tuesday's attack was part of a wider terror plot.  
Witnesses described hearing five to ten gun shots, all of which came from police guns.  
Others ran for their lives as they watched the truck plow into pedestrians after veering off the road.      
Shocking video footage from the scene showed cyclists lying on the ground with their bikes smashed in to pieces around them.  By-passers were seen tending to them as they awaited medical attention.  
The chaotic scene at the site of the crash on Tuesday afternoon after the man and his victims were taken to hospital

The chaotic scene at the site of the crash on Tuesday afternoon after the man and his victims were taken to hospital
The truck came to a stop after crashing into a school bus at Chambers Street. It remains at the scene

The truck came to a stop after crashing into a school bus at Chambers Street. It remains at the scene
A woman is seen being treated by paramedics at the scene of the attack in Tribeca, downtown Manhattan, on Tuesday 

A woman is seen being treated by paramedics at the scene of the attack in Tribeca, downtown Manhattan, on Tuesday 
An NYPD officer stands beside one of the bodies of the victims on the cycle path on Tuesday afternoon 
An NYPD officer stands beside one of the bodies of the victims on the cycle path on Tuesday afternoon 
An injured victim is taken to hospital after the attack on Tuesday afternoon. Eleven people are were injured in the attack and eight are dead 

An injured victim is taken to hospital after the attack on Tuesday afternoon. Eleven people are were injured in the attack and eight are dead 

Parents nervously hurried their children away from the scene as police continued to work. The attack happened just as children were being let out for the day 
Parents nervously hurried their children away from the scene as police continued to work. The attack happened just as children were being let out for the day 
A little girl cries as she is navigated away from the scene on Tuesday afternoon 
A little girl cries as she is navigated away from the scene on Tuesday afternoon 
Within minutes of the first reports, there was an enormous police and fire service presence at the site. 
Ezequiel Gonzalez, 18, a speech coach at Stuyvesant High School, told DailyMail.com at the scene: ‘I heard what sounded like gas caskets and I went up on the bridge and saw a car caved in. 
'Then I was pushed back and saw the ambulances arriving. The school was put on lock down.
John Williams, 22, told DailyMail.com he was there around 30 seconds after the gun shot: 'I saw one man lying on the ground being looked after by paramedics and cops, another man getting arrested and what seemed like another man running towards the Hudson River.
‘I came out and saw a man holding two guns. I could still smell the gun fire. It was a very strong scent. I was concerned for the safety of everyone because there was someone walking around with a gun.’  
Williams said he heard between five and ten gun shots in total. 
At the time, school children were being let out of class after a day of Halloween festivities.  
City officials said there would be an increased police presence across New York for the rest of the day and week 
City officials said there would be an increased police presence across New York for the rest of the day and week 
How terrorists have turned to vans and lorries to murder hundreds of people in a matter of months
Today’s terror attack in New York is chillingly similar to a spate of killings in Europe in recent months where vehicles were used.
It is believed six people were killed by a truck driver who mowed them down on a bike path in lower Manhattan.
The driver made his way from Houston Street down towards Tribeca where he mounted the bike path on the West Side Highway shortly after 3pm.
After striking several cyclists and runners, he came to a stop when his truck crashed into a school bus beneath the Tribeca bridge.
But it is not the first time a vehicle has been used to carry out mass murder in Western Europe with similar atrocities taking place in Britain, France , Germany, Spain and Stockholm and claiming well over 100 lives.
In August, Barcelona terrorist Younes Abouyaaqoub calmly walking away seconds after ploughing a van into crowds on the Ramblas murdering 14 people.
Barcelona: On August 17, a van plowed through crowds on La Rambla, murdering 14 people 
Barcelona: On August 17, a van plowed through crowds on La Rambla, murdering 14 people 
Stockholm: On April 7, 2017 a hijacked truck was deliberately driven into crowds before being crashed through a corner of a department store. Five were killed 
Stockholm: On April 7, 2017 a hijacked truck was deliberately driven into crowds before being crashed through a corner of a department store. Five were killed 
Abouqaaqoub was part of a 12-man cell who brought terror to Barcelona on August 17 and 18.
Hours after the Ramblas attack, five other members of the gang ploughed into pedestrians in the nearby seaside town of Cambrils before they went on the rampage with an axe and large knives, stabbing one person to death.
A driver has deliberately ploughed a van into pedestrians in Barcelona killing at least 13 and wounding dozens
On Bastille Day in the summer of last year, 86 people were killed when a truck was driven through crowds enjoying fireworks in Nice.
Low tech attacks using stolen and hired vehicles to randomly rammed into crowds, have been increasingly used by terrorists unable to get hold of guns and explosives.
In June a team of jihadists used a hire van to drive through pedestrians at London Bridge before going on the rampage with knives
'Whether they are going to be permanent or temporary, time will tell. It is very difficult to stop, nigh on impossible.'
Before today's attack there had been a series of atrocities using cars and trucks in 2016 and 2017.
In June a team of jihadists used a hire van to drive through pedestrians at London Bridge before going on the rampage with knives.
London, Westminster Bridge: On March 22, six people were killed when a terrorist mounted the walkway 
London, Westminster Bridge: On March 22, six people were killed when a terrorist mounted the walkway 
Nice: 86 died when a 19-tonne cargo truck was driven into crowds on the Promenage des Anglais during Bastille Day celebrations on July 15, 2016
Nice: 86 died when a 19-tonne cargo truck was driven into crowds on the Promenage des Anglais during Bastille Day celebrations on July 15, 2016
On March 22, Khalid Masood, 52, drove a Hyundai 4x4 over Westminster Bridge, mowing down members of the public before crashing into a fence beside Big Ben.
He then got out of the car and attacked PC Keith Palmer with a knife.
Masood was shot twice by police and died when he was taken to hospital.
Five people died in the attack, including PC Palmer.
In April, in central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, a hijacked truck was deliberately driven into crowds before being crashed through a corner of a department store
The day after the Westminster attack, a man in Antwerp drove into a crowded shopping area in the Belgian city in an attempted attack, but no one was injured. 
An ISIS-inspired massacre took place in Germany when a terrorist drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin. Twelve people were killed in the attack on December 19.
Anis Amri stole a cargo truck and killed 12 people when he drove through a Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz.
Among the dozen people killed was the original driver of the truck Lukasz Urban who was found dead with a gunshot wound in the passenger street.
An ISIS-inspired massacre took place in Germany when a terrorist drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin
Amri was a Tunisian who had failed to gain asylum status in the country. He was killed in Milan four days later after an international manhunt.
But the most deadly was the driver of a tractor-trailer who targeted Bastille Day revelers in the southern French city of Nice in July 2016.
On the evening of July 14, a 19-tonne cargo truck was driven into crowds on the Promenage des Anglais.
ISIS fanatic Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was behind the wheel and after exchanging gunfire with police, the Tunisian migrant was shot dead.
Thousands had gathered on the seafront to watch the fireworks that night. 86 of them died and 434 were injured