MillenniumPost
Editorial

Consequence of chain migration?

A Bangladeshi-origin man, who triggered a blast at a metro station in New York City, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror group and was motivated by Israeli actions in Gaza, US officials said. Akayed Ullah, the 27-year-old suspected bomber, detonated a pipe bomb strapped to his body in a crowded passageway during the morning rush hour, injuring himself and three others. The device prematurely exploded between two subway platforms near Port Authority, America's largest bus terminal, injuring four persons and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the metropolis, officials said. Pledging allegiance to the ISIS terror group, he told investigators that his planned terrorist attack in New York was mainly because of the recent Israeli actions in Gaza, officials said as per multiple media reports. A law enforcement official quoted by CNN said that recent Israeli actions in Gaza had compelled Ullah to carry out the attack, adding that the suspect had said he was "upset" with the "incursion into Gaza". The Homeland Security spokesman Tyler Houlton said Ullah is now a lawful permanent resident. He came to the US in 2011 on an F43 family immigrant visa, which is granted to children of American citizens siblings. A day after an ISIS-inspired Bangladeshi-origin man triggered a blast at a busy metro station in New York City, US President Donald Trump urged that Congress to must end "chain migration" and fix the "lax" immigration system to keep Americans safe. The Bangladeshi ISIS sympathiser had no criminal record back home, a police official said on Tuesday, even as Dhaka vowed "zero tolerance" against terrorism. He had entered the US through "extended-family chain migration," a system President Donald Trump is seeking to end that allows families to sponsor relatives to come to the US. As per Dhaka Tribune, he last visited Bangladesh in September. "The attempted mass murder attack in New York City, the second terror attack in New York in the last two months, once again highlights the urgent need for Congress to enact legislative reforms to protect the American people," Trump said. "First and foremost... America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country." Trump further said that "the terror suspect entered our country through extended-family chain migration, which is incompatible with national security," The US President said that his executive action to restrict the entry of certain nationals from eight countries, which the Supreme Court recently allowed to take effect, is just one step forward in "securing" the immigration system. "Congress must end chain migration," he said, listing a slew of measures to improve and secure the immigration system"; "The terrible harm that this flawed system inflicts on America's security and economy has long been clear. I am determined to improve our immigration system to put our country and our people first," Trump said. Trump said those convicted of engaging in acts of terror deserve the highest penalty allowed by law, including the death penalty in appropriate cases. America should always stand firm against terrorism and extremism, ensuring that their institutions can address all evil acts of terror, he said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the attack underscored the need for Congress to work with the President on immigration reforms that enhance the national security and public safety. "We must protect our borders, we must ensure that individuals entering our country are not coming to harm our people, and we must move to a merit-based system of immigration.

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