- President Donald Trump emphasized his “Extreme Vetting Program” following the deadly attack in New York.
- Law enforcement officials are investigating the incident as an act of terror.
- Uzbekistan, the suspect’s country of origin, does not fall under the list of countries in Trump’s current travel ban.
Following the deadly attack in New York that killed at least eight people and injured a dozen, President Donald Trump said he had ordered the Department of Homeland Security to implement tougher procedures to screen applicants who wish to come to the US.
“I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program,” Trump tweeted Tuesday night. “Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!”
Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, an Uzbek national who reports say legally resided in Florida and New Jersey, is suspected to have plowed through pedestrians and bicyclists in lower Manhattan using a rented Home Depot truck. He was later shot in the abdomen by a police officer, and after surgery, is expected to survive. CNN and NBC have reported that he left a note in the truck claiming he carried out the attack in the name of the Islamic State.
“We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere,” Trump tweeted earlier Tuesday, following reports of the attack. “Enough!”
Citing security concerns, Trump previously said his administration was taking steps to prevent future terrorist attacks in the US. In order to achieve this goal, Trump initially developed a refugee intake system and travel ban that critics called a “Muslim ban,” due to its targeting of citizens from majority-Muslim nations. Trump eventually modified the ban to include 11 “high-risk” countries.
Uzbekistan, however, is not included on Trump’s list of countries that warrant a more through examination.
Trump has previously talked about his extreme vetting process following a major terrorist attack.
“In any event we are EXTREME VETTING people coming into the U.S. in order to help keep our country safe,” Trump tweeted, following the London terror attack in June. “The courts are slow and political!”
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