Texas House Republicans are demanding a halt on all immigration into the country after authorities named a naturalized U.S. citizen as the suspected gunman who killed two people and wounded 14 others in Austin this past weekend.
On Monday, at least 70 Texas House Republicans signed a letter to U.S. congressional leaders pushing for an immediate pause on immigration until “proper vetting protocols” are put in place.
The letter stated, “The American people — and the people of Texas — demand immigration policies that place the safety and welfare of Americans first,” said the letter. State Rep. Cole Hefner (TX-District 5), chair of the House’s Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs and lead signatory, said the letter was a team effort from Texas House Republicans.
The FBI and local law enforcement are probing into the background of the alleged suspect Ndiaga Diagne, a 53year-old naturalized citizen originally from Sengal who was shot during a rampage while wearing a sweatshirt with “Property of Allah” and a shirt with the Iranian flag. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a “potential act of terrorism,” and have not yet determined the motive.
According to DHS, Diagne entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000, became a lawful permanent resident by marrying a U.S. citizen in 2006 and was naturalized in 2013.
Republicans have targeted Diagne’s immigrant background and suggested he wasn’t properly vetted. According to Rep. Hefner, the letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Cong. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Minority Leader, Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune, and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. addressed four points, including asking Congress to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), freezing all H-1B visas and calling for a comprehensive audit of existing visa holder and current status, pausing all immigration until proper vetting protocols are established, and redirecting resources toward identifying threats within the country.
The proposed immigration freeze also specifically goes after H-1B visas, which are nonimmigrant visas that allow U.S. employers to sponsor foreign workers in specialty occupations. The visas have recently been targeted by state leaders with Gov. Greg Abbott ordering all public universities and state agencies to freeze new H-1B visa applications earlier this year.
The letter also called for funding DHS after U.S. Democrats refused to vote for a funding package for the agency without changes to how immigration enforcement is conducted. The funding standoff came after the fatal shootings of at least three American citizens in Texas and Minnesota by federal immigration agents.
According to the letter, “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 antiimmigrant— it is pro-American.”
“If Congress refuses to act, then Congress must empower the states to act. Texas has demonstrated repeatedly that it will not stand idle while Washington fails. We will use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our citizens, with or without federal cooperation,” said Rep. Hefner.