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In the aftermath of a tragic shooting at an Austin bar, 55 Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives have urged Congress to halt immigration programs. This week, they issued a letter emphasizing the urgency of implementing immigration policies that prioritize the safety and welfare of American citizens above all else.
“The time for deliberation has passed,” the letter states. “The American people and the citizens of Texas demand that immigration policies focus on their safety and well-being first and foremost.”
The letter outlines four specific demands, including a notable call for leadership changes within key government positions.
The Republicans expressed deep concerns about the current state of immigration oversight. “We lack a comprehensive understanding of who resides in this country,” they wrote. “Until our systems can effectively identify, track, and vet individuals entering the United States, we cannot, in good conscience, continue processing new immigration applications at the current rate. Pausing immigration is not an anti-immigrant stance; it is a pro-American one.”
The letter lists four demands:
- Fully fund the Department of Homeland Security
- Immediately freeze all H-1B visa issuances
- Pause all immigration until proper vetting protocols are established
- Redirect resources toward identifying threats already within our borders
“We do not have an adequate accounting of who is in this country,” the Republicans write. “Until we can guarantee that our systems are capable of identifying, tracking, and vetting individuals who enter the United States, we cannot in good conscience continue to process new immigration applications at the current pace. A pause is not anti-immigrant it is pro-American.”
Early Sunday morning a gunman opened fire at a popular bar in downtown Austin. Four people, including the shooter, are dead and 13 others were injured.
Austin police identified the shooter as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. The Department of Homeland Security said he entered the U.S. from Senegal on a tourist visa in March 2000. Since then, he became a lawful permanent resident and gained citizenship.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations said its investigating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism. The Republican letter sent to both majority and minority leaders of Congress called the shooting a terrorist attack.
Matt Hughes is a former consular officer who served in American embassies around the world for 10 years. Part of his job was vetting and approving visa applications and “ensuring that people coming to the United States are the types of people that we want to have here.”
He believes no amount of intelligence or updated vetting process would have prevented the tragedy that unfolded in the Texas capital.
“You would need a crystal ball to be able to say that somebody who came here 25 years ago is going to become potentially radicalized or maybe have some sort of mental break and end up committing an atrocious crime like this,” Hughes explained.
Hughes said he believes the information and intelligence sharing between international agencies and local, state, and federal agencies provides a lot of data on visa applicants that are seeking to enter the country.
He argues that freezing immigration programs would have a significant impact on the American economy.
“If we become a country that’s not welcoming to the best and the brightest, that’s going to come back to bite us,” Hughes said.
On Wednesday, the registration period for new H-1B visas opened. This certain visa allows American companies to employ foreign workers with a highly specialized skill.
H-1B visas have been criticized by Republicans with some federal legislative proposals that would have phased the program out. In January, Gov. Greg Abbott directed all state agencies controlled by his appointees, and public institutions of higher education, to freeze all H-1B visa applications until May 2027. The governor cited “recent reports of abuse” as his reasoning for freezing applications and investigating the program.