After terror attack, Trump pushes immigration restrictions, calls criminal justice system a 'joke'

Turning overtly to politics in the aftermath of the latest terror attack, President Trump on Wednesday called the U.S. criminal justice system a “joke,” demanded the cancellation of the green card lottery program that allowed the suspected New York City attacker to enter the country and said he would consider housing the suspect among alleged foreign terrorists in Guantanamo Bay.

In remarks before a Cabinet meeting and earlier in the day, Trump assailed Democratsin general and New York’s senior senator, Charles E. Schumer, in particular for blocking his proposals to restrict immigration.

“Honestly, they don’t want to do what’s right for our country,” he said of the Democrats.

Trump’s proposals on the immigration front were twofold: canceling the visa lottery program that has been in effect for nearly 30 years and ending “chain migration” by which relatives of those in the country have priority when seeking permission to enter legally.

The lottery program, created during the George H.W. Bush administration, was meant to allow individuals to enter the United States from countries that had low levels of immigration at that time. It had particular support from Irish American and Italian American groups, which have long had large immigrant populations in New York, and was backed by Schumer, then a member of the House, as well as Republicans from the New York area.

“Sounds nice, it’s not nice, it’s not good,” Trump said of the program under which Sayfullo Saipov, accused in the New York truck attack that left eight dead, entered the U.S. from Uzbekistan as an adolescent. “I am going to ask Congress to immediately initiate work to get rid of this program.”

Trump said that Saipov had either brought in or potentially could bring in 23 relatives. “They certainly could represent a threat,” he said, without offering proof.

In his rebuke of the criminal justice system, Trump suggested that it was partially at fault for terrorist acts.

“We need quick justice, and we need strong justice — much quicker and much stronger than we have right now. Because what we have right now is a joke, and it’s a laughingstock,” he said. “And no wonder so much of this stuff takes place.” - More

After terror attack, Trump pushes immigration restrictions, calls criminal justice system a 'joke'

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