MOSCOW (Sputnik) – At least six individuals with suspected links to terror resettled in the United States through the Diversity Visa Waiver Program known as the visa lottery, the Fox News broadcaster reported on Wednesday, citing the US presidential administration.
The visa lottery came under fire after the October 31 ramming attack in New York, which killed eight people and injured 11 others, that was perpetrated by Uzbek national Sayfullo Saipov, who won US residency in the visa lottery.
READ MORE: Syrians More Easily Get to US Through Visa Lottery Than Refugee Program
Along with Saipov, five more winners of the visa lottery had links to terror groups, the Fox News broadcaster reported.
Sayfullo Saipov, the radical Islamic terrorist who murdered 8 in NYC, wasn't the first terrorist to infiltrate America through the Diversity Visa Lottery.https://t.co/4Wp9VkGoGc#WednesdayWisdom
— ACT for America (@ACTforAmerica) November 15, 2017
One of them, another Uzbek citizen Abdurasul Juraboev was sentenced to 15 years in jail over links to the Daesh terror group several days before Saipov’s attack.
Pakistani national Imran Mandhai, whose parents received permanent legal status due to the visa lottery, pleaded guilty to plotting a bombing attack on the National Guard Armory and electrical power substation near Miami. One more case cited by the presidential administration includes the deportation of Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, a US leader of the Hamas Palestinian movement, in 1997 over his involvement in terror activities.
Thank you to Congressman Goodlatte for talking about the real threat of radical Islamic terrorists, like Sayfullo Saipov, who used our Diversity Visa Lottery to then murder us.#HouseJudiciaryCommittee #JeffSessions
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) November 14, 2017
In light of the New York terror attack, which claimed the lives of eight people, Trump vowed to terminate the Diversity Immigration Lottery and said that it was necessary to get rid of chain migration stressing that he would ask the Congress to start working on this issue immediately.
READ MORE: Trump Vows to Terminate Green Card Lottery After NY Attack
The visa lottery was introduced under the Immigration Act adopted in 1990 and aimed at giving immigrants from "underrepresented countries" the opportunity to live, study and work in the US as permanent residents. The program makes 55,000 Permanent Resident cards available every year.
State Dept.: Visa Lottery Admitted Almost 30,000 People from Terror-Sponsoring Countries since 2007 https://t.co/qfE0gzRKVO pic.twitter.com/ZMDNjVMAoL
— NumbersUSA (@NumbersUSA) November 14, 2017
