NEW YORK – A young Middle-Eastern man brought a bomb to New York’s Times Square today after he earlier pledged allegiance to ISIS and was here as a result of “our failed immigration policies,” the attorney general says.
The New York City Fire Department said today they removed the 27-year-old perpetrator to a hospital after he detonated an explosive device near a busy Times Square depot at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue. 3 people in proximity to the explosion removed themselves, all have minor injuries consistent with being in the area of an explosion. A total of 5 people were hurt, reportedly. CNN reported the man, from Bangladesh, had pledged his allegiance to ISIS.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued the following statement on the attempted terrorist attack in New York City:
“The President is exactly correct about the changes we need to our immigration system. We have now seen two terrorist attacks in New York City in less than two months that were carried out by people who came here as the result of our failed immigration policies that do not serve the national interest—the diversity lottery and chain migration. The 20-year-old son of the sister of a U.S. citizen should not get priority to come to this country ahead of someone who is high-skilled, well educated, has learned English, and is likely to assimilate and flourish here.
“It is a failure of logic and sound policy not to adopt a merit-based immigration system. The President has asked Congress to work with him on ending the diversity lottery and chain migration. He has proposed switching to a merit-based system of immigration similar to the Canadian and Australian systems. That means welcoming the best and the brightest and turning away not only terrorists but gang members, fraudsters, drunk drivers, and child abusers. Such a merit-based system would make us safer and welcome individuals who would be best able to assimilate and flourish in our country.”
