Washington - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned President Donald Trump's trashing of legal immigrants who came to the country through the visa lottery system.
In a speech on Saturday at the FBI Training Academy, the president said in part: They have a lottery. You pick people. Do you think the country is giving us their best people? No. What kind of a system is that? They come in by a lottery. They give us their worst people, they put them in a bin, but in his hand when he's picking 'them is the really the worst of the worst. Congratulations you're going to the United States. Okay.
When Donald Trump uses an appearance at a law enforcement setting to trash those who came to this country through a strict legal process calling them 'the worst of the worst' he sends the message that the status of immigrants is somehow lower than that of native-born citizens, and that law enforcement authorities should perhaps treat them differently than other Americans. This is the same racist, white supremacist message that has emboldened bigots and has resulted in an unprecedented spike in hate targeting minority and immigrant communities, CAIR said in a statement. It is noteworthy that those selected in the visa lottery go through the same vetting as any other immigrant and their countries do not 'pick them to emigrate.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Source: International Islamic News Agency