Donald Trump, the President of the United States, criticized the process of accepting immigrants through family connections and the lottery for the U.S. green card (lottery visa) once again on Friday, December 15. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the FBI Academy in Virginia, Trump stated: "We ask Congress to end any issuance of chain visas (through family) and to stop the lottery visa system, replacing it with a merit-based immigration system." The President added, "We have recently seen that America is facing serious threats. In recent months, terrorists have carried out two attacks in the streets and subway of New York. Both perpetrators of these terrorist attacks entered our country through a flawed immigration system, and we are rapidly reforming this system." Trump mentioned that the perpetrators of these attacks entered the U.S. through family visas and the green card lottery. He referred to the attack in New York by Sayfullo Saipov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, on October 31, where he drove a truck onto a bike lane, attacking pedestrians and several cyclists in Manhattan, resulting in at least eight casualties. This Uzbek citizen was accused of terrorism and received his U.S. green card through the lottery program in 2010. Another individual, Akayed Ullah, of Bangladeshi descent, detonated a homemade bomb in the busy New York subway near Times Square on December 11, injuring himself and three others. Ullah received his green card through family connections. Trump further stated, "They have a lottery that selects individuals. Do you think these countries send us their best? No. What kind of system is this? They come through the lottery. They give us their worst people, the worst of the worst." According to the U.S. green card lottery program, signed into law in 1990 by then-President George H.W. Bush, about 50,000 people from around the world can immigrate to the United States annually through registration and lottery. In 2015, over 14 million people from various nationalities registered for this lottery, and more than 49,000 were declared winners of the green card. In the same context, the suspect in the subway bombing in New York was charged with "terrorist action." Trump stated that he would "end" the green card lottery following the New York incident, and "resumption" and "re-registration" for the lottery will begin on October 18.
Trump Criticizes Chain Migration and Green Card Lottery Again
Donald Trump has reiterated his criticism of chain migration and the green card lottery, linking them to recent terrorist attacks in New York. He calls for Congress to end these immigration processes and replace them with a merit-based system. This stance reflects ongoing concerns about national security and immigration policy in the U.S.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Donald Trump criticized chain migration and the green card lottery during a speech, linking them to recent terrorist attacks in New York. He called for Congress to replace these systems with a merit-based immigration approach.
- Trump's remarks were made at the FBI Academy graduation ceremony.
- He specifically referenced two recent terrorist attacks linked to individuals who entered the U.S. through these immigration processes.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The U.S. green card lottery allows individuals from countries with low immigration rates to apply for permanent residency, while chain migration refers to family-based immigration. Both systems have faced criticism for their perceived vulnerabilities.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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