Chain migration brings us another terrorist

The Associated Press reports,

HARRISBURG, Pa.—A gunman who shot at police in a terror attack last week came to the U.S. on a family-based immigrant visa, the Department of Homeland Security said, highlighting a program President Donald Trump has criticized.

Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty fired at a Harrisburg police officer Friday afternoon and later at a state trooper, wounding her before pursuing her, Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said. El-Mofty was later killed by police.

Department of Homeland Security acting press secretary Tyler Q. Houlton said Saturday that El-Mofty was a naturalized U.S. citizen who was admitted to the country from Egypt.

“The long chain of migration that led to (El-Mofty’s) admission into the United States was initiated years ago by a distant relative,” Mr. Houlton said in a statement.

Mr. Houlton said incidents like the one involving El-Mofty “highlight the Trump administration’s concerns with extended family chain migration.” He said chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program have been exploited by extremists.

“Not only are the programs less effective at driving economic growth than merit-based immigration systems used by nearly all other countries, the programs make it more difficult to keep dangerous people out of the United States and to protect the safety of every American,” Mr. Houlton said.

Mr. Marsico said there was “no doubt” El-Mofty was targeting police officers in the state capital.

“He fired several shots at a Capitol police officer and at a Pennsylvania state police trooper in marked vehicles,” Mr. Marsico said.

The gunfire began shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, when El-Mofty fired several shots at a state Capitol officer in downtown Harrisburg, striking his car several times and sending one shot “that went very close to hitting him,” Mr. Marsico said. About 20 or 30 minutes later, he fired several shots at the state trooper, striking her with one of those shots.