‘Freeze all H-1Bs immediately’: Texas shooter had tourist visa, but more than 70 Republicans ask Congress to halt all immigration

In response to the U.S. attack on Iran, in which 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne shot two people and wounded 14 others in downtown Austin, more than 70 Texas Republicans have now signed a letter to Congress calling for a halt to all immigration, including H-1Bs, a special work visa, because “we have to know who is in this country.” Diagne, who opened fire outside a busy Texas bar, is from Senegal and came to the United States decades ago on a tourist visa. He was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah” on it, leading investigators to believe his shooting was triggered by a U.S. attack on Iran. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Diagne entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000, married a U.S. citizen in 2006, became a lawful permanent resident, and became a naturalized citizen in 2013. He has nothing to do with H-1B, but the Republican leader included H-1B in the letter at a time when “H-1B/Indian takeover of Texas” has become a significant issue. The letter, which contains four demands, said the people of Texas are tired of watching Washington deliver rhetoric rather than results. “If Congress continues to treat border security and immigration enforcement as a political football, more Americans will be killed. We don’t send representatives to Washington to tweet; we send them to govern,” the Republican leaders wrote.

Four demands from Texas Republican leaders

Fully fund the Department of Homeland Security: Republican leaders are demanding full, unencumbered funding for the Department of Homeland Security because the department is the nation’s frontline. “Budget obstruction and political maneuvering that have left DHS starved of needed resources is not a negotiation tactic but a national security failure,” they wrote. Immediate freeze on all H-1B visa issuances: All H-1B visas should be halted pending a comprehensive review of existing visa holders and their current status. “We must know who is in this country, why they are here, and whether they pose any risk to national security,” the letter demanded. Suspend all immigration: Suspend all immigration until the system can identify, track and vet individuals entering the United States. Redirect resources to identify threats already within our borders: A coordinated, well-funded effort to cross-reference immigration records, law enforcement databases, and intelligence reports to identify individuals who pose credible threats to U.S. citizens.