by Mark Angelides
The man who authorities believe to be responsible for the New York terror attack that left eight deaths and many more injured was apparently in the US because he “won” one of 50,000 places in the American “Diversity Lottery Visa” program. Not only is this system insulting to all Americans, but it clearly does not leave America safer.
Until this morning, many people in the US may have been unaware of the Diversity Lottery that is carried out every year and which brings in up to 50,000 extra people from overseas who have no particular skill set other than the fact that they are not Americans. But now everyone knows, and the left are backtracking.
Even the very idea that the US requires more “diversity” is insulting. It suggests that there is not enough difference in the gene pool and as such needs to be “enriched” by outside help. It is worth noting that most of the world’s “non-white majority” nations have this system or feel the need to make their countries “les brown” or “less black.”
The alleged terrorist, Sayfullo Saipov, is now 29-years-old. He came to America from Uzbekistan in 2010, and little has been released so far to indicate what he has been doing (other than working as Uber driver for the last six months). He was granted entry through the Diversity Lottery. Has it been worth it?
As far back as 2011, critics have been arguing that this particular visa scheme in no way benefits American people or American interests. In fact, in the RAISE act being put before the House by Senator Tom Cotton, there is a call for the Lottery t be completely scrapped. Senator Cotton said:
“The diversity lottery serves no discernible humanitarian or economic interest,” Cotton explained to Breitbart News. “It is a policy that has far outlived its usefulness and it really doesn’t even serve diversity since Europe is one of the primary uses of it. Even in past efforts at amnesty-first comprehensive immigration reform like we saw in 2013 and 2007, most people agree we should eliminate the diversity lottery. I think it’s a policy that has far outlived its usefulness if it ever had any utility and it’s time to eliminate the diversity lottery.”
It does nothing other than afford people with dubious histories the chance to come to America. It is all very well arguing that immigration is good for a country (in terms of GDP it likely is, but for GDP per Capita, the figures are not so good), but that is when it is managed, vetted migration. The Policy Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, Janice Kephart, gave testimony to Congress 6 years ago in which she said that the “Diversity Lottery” is a major potential threat to security. She said:
“The Diversity Visa Program is an unfortunate blind spot in our immigration system that has outlived whatever purpose it might have had. The applicants for these 50,000 ‘visa lottery’ immigration slots require few skills. Neither their qualifications nor identity can be properly vetted. The program does not know, really, who these applicants are or their true purpose in coming to the United States. The program is a national security vulnerability and has been used by terrorists and organized criminals to not only enter the United States but to bring others in as well.”
So everyone seems to know how dangerous and risky these types of visas can be, yet no one acted. Well now they have a reason to act…Let’s hope they do.