UPDATE: Over at Hot Air, Ed mentioned that this bombing could have been a message to Trump. Ullah wrote on his Facebook page: “Trump you failed to protect your nation.”
MORE: Federal complaint alleges the suspect posted this statement on his Facebook page the morning of the attack: “Trump you failed to protect your nation.” https://t.co/KyZaVfZXbB pic.twitter.com/aeXqixjxQb
— ABC News (@ABC) December 12, 2017
***
Earlier yesterday morning, New York City was hit by an attempted terrorist attack. Akayed Ullah, 27, was left with serious injures when the pipe bomb he was carrying went off. Blessedly, only five people suffered minor injuries (via ABC News):
The explosion occurred in an underground passageway near the Port Authority Bus Terminal, sending commuters scrambling to evacuate a major transit hub just blocks from Times Square. Despite the rush-hour crowds, only five people suffered minor injuries, officials said.
The 27-year-old suspect, Akayed Ullah, is in the hospital, badly injured in the arm and torso from the device that went off in his arms, law enforcement sources said.
[…]
Ullah, originally from Bangladesh, told authorities he is self-inspired from ISIS online propaganda, sources said. Ullah told authorities no one directed him to carry out the attack and he talked about the plight of Muslims over the years, a law enforcement source said.
Ullah entered the United States from Bangladesh seven years ago on a family-based visa and has an address in Brooklyn, sources said. The explosive was assembled in his apartment, sources said.
So, this guy was able to come here via chain migration, as Katie noted:
DHS can confirm that the suspect was admitted to the United States after presenting a passport displaying an F43 family immigrant visa in 2011. The suspect is a Lawful Permanent Resident from Bangladesh who benefited from extended family chain migration," Homeland Security Press Secretary Tyler Houlton confirmed.
During the daily briefing Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders reiterated President Trump's plans to end chain migration into the United States.
"The president’s policy has called for an end to chain migration, and if that had been in place that would have prevented this individual from coming to the United States. So the president is aggressively gonna continue to push forth responsible immigration reform, and ending chain migration would certainly be a part of that process,” Sanders said. "We know that the president’s policy calls for an end to chain migration, which is what this individual came to the United States through, and if his policy had been in place, then that attacker would not have been allowed to come in the country.”
Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot about the statement from Ullah’s family [emphasis mine]:
We are heartbroken by this attack on our city today and by the allegations being made against a member of our family. Our family like all families is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all New Yorkers," the family said in a statement provided by the Council on American-Islamic Relations-New York.
"But we are also outraged by the behavior of law enforcement officials during this investigation. Today, we have seen our children, as young as 4 years old, held out in the cold, detained as their parents were questioned," the statement continued. "One teenage relative was pulled out of high school classes and interrogated without a lawyer, without his parents. These are not the actions that we expect from our justice system, and we hope to see better in the days and weeks to come. We also ask the press to respect our privacy and to give our family time to grieve this horrific development."
JUST IN: Family of NYC terror suspect Akayed Ullah release statement saying "We are heartbroken by this attack on our city today and by the allegations being made against a member of our family" (via @CBSNewYork) pic.twitter.com/BXfq3WQJad
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 12, 2017
Uh, excuse me; your family member tried to commit a terrorist attack. This is what happens. Law enforcement is going to ask you questions. Also, so sorry we inconvenienced you by asking such questions after your family member tried to butcher innocent Americans on their commute to work. Former CIA Analyst Buck Sexton took to social media to comment on this statement tweeting, “Sorry our son tried to blow up a lot of you on your way to work today, but the cops were kinda rude to us after that and we want answers.”
“Sorry our son tried to blow up a lot of you on your way to work today, but the cops were kinda rude to us after that and we want answers” https://t.co/2nEN4czLx9
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) December 12, 2017
This isn’t about the justice system. This isn’t about law enforcement being rude. This is about your family member trying to blow up people. You better be prepared to answer whatever questions they asked of you and then some.
Thank God this bombing was unsuccessful and thank you to the NYPD, NYFD, and the other first responders who secured the area, took care of the wounded, and got everyone to safety.
“Outraged by the behavior of law enforcement officials during this investigation.” Are you kidding me, folks?
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