Tom Emmer Advocates for Immigration Reform Amid Recent Attacks

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer has highlighted serious flaws in U.S. immigration laws following a troubling series of attacks carried out by naturalized citizens. He believes it is now “more urgent than ever” to pass the Stop Civil Rights Abuse and Misrepresentations Act (SCAM), aimed at allowing the government to remove “terrorists who hate America” from the country.

Introduced by Emmer in January, the SCAM Act would give the government greater authority to revoke citizenship from naturalized individuals convicted of terrorism, fraud, or espionage. A Senate version is being discussed by Sen. Eric Schmidt (R-Missouri).

In an interview, Emmer expressed his frustration, stating that current laws set the bar too high for denaturalization and emphasized, “This has to be addressed.” He argued that if someone exploits American generosity, has connections to terrorist groups, or commits significant felonies, they should face consequences. “You should be denatured and sent back to where you came from,” he added.

Concerns About National Security

In light of recent events, Emmer mentioned that nearly 50 House members have co-sponsored the SCAM Act. He remains hopeful that the bill will garner bipartisan support, as even some Democrats recognize the severity of the issue. “It’s really simple,” he remarked. “The message is that terrorists, naturalized or not, do not belong on American soil.”

Recent attacks involving naturalized citizens have further fueled this conversation. In March, Ndiaga Diagne, originally from Senegal, went on a shooting rampage in Austin, resulting in three deaths and many injuries before being killed by police. Shortly after, Sheikh Barat and Ibrahim Qayumi, children of naturalized citizens from Turkey and Afghanistan, attempted to bomb an anti-Muslim rally in New York City. Their charges include supporting ISIS and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.

On the same day, Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, a naturalized Lebanese citizen, allegedly tried to drive his car into a synagogue in Michigan. Meanwhile, Mohamed Baylor Jallow from Sierra Leone shot and killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shah at a university in Virginia before being killed himself.

“It’s clear that something is broken in our immigration system,” Emmer stated, pointing out that terrorists continue to enter the country. He pressed, “This cannot continue,” emphasizing the urgency for action.

Backlash and Community Reactions

Despite his strong stance, Emmer has faced backlash in Minnesota. Local activist Abdikadir Bashir criticized him for allegedly trying to “politically eliminate” immigrant communities, warning that conditional citizenship could endanger many Americans. “Today you might be Somali-American. Tomorrow you might be a different ethnicity,” he cautioned.

Bashir hopes the bill will be passed soon but remains skeptical about its timing. Emmer concluded that the current immigration system needs reform to require newcomers to declare their allegiance to the United States. “We want anyone who comes here to chase the American dream and become Americans…But if you’re going to destroy America, you need to get out of there,” he stated.