Fox News: MAGA hardliner pushes ban on immigration from Islamic countries, US adversaries in wake of Texas shooting
Rep. Andy Ogles, R Tenn., plans to introduce a bill that would halt entry from a set of Muslim countries, an effort Ogles framed as a continuation of travel restrictions President Donald Trump implemented in 2017.
“Mass Islamic immigration, legal or illegal, has transformed America and brought destructive consequences,” Ogles said.
“America’s moral exemplar is a meek carpenter who rose from the dead, not a warmonger with 12 wives and countless slaves. My bill will preserve this truth.”
Ogles’ bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent admission of aliens from a series of countries with predominantly Muslim populations and a handful of other U.S. adversaries as Republicans continue to express concerns on Islamic ideologies and possible ties to recent acts of violence.
The bill, dubbed the “Halt Immigration from Countries with Inadequate Verification Capabilities Act,” targets Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The bill describes those countries as regions where the government or prevailing conditions do not allow for reliable verification of the identities, backgrounds, or intentions of travelers seeking entry to the United States.
The ban would also apply to individuals who have lived in the listed countries within the five years prior to attempting entry into the U.S. The legislation includes an exception for U.S. citizens.
Ogles’ proposal comes after a deadly shooting in Austin, Texas that left at least three people dead and more than a dozen injured.
Investigators have not definitively determined the motive behind the attack, but police said the suspect was wearing a hoodie marked “property of Allah.” Authorities also reportedly found an Iranian flag and photos of Islamic leaders at the suspect’s residence.
The suspect, Ndiaga Diagne, was killed after a confrontation with law enforcement officers.
The shooting occurred one day after the United States struck Iran alongside Israel, targeting the country’s military leadership amid efforts to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
###