Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI) pushed back against criticism of the diversity visa lottery program on Friday during an appearance on MS NOW’s “Ana Cabrera Reports,” following scrutiny of immigration policy in the wake of the Brown University shooting. Amo, whose parents immigrated from West Africa, argued that the visa program should not be blamed for the actions of one criminal and warned against using the tragedy as a political tool to attack immigration as a whole.
“I think faulting immigration as a whole is a bit of a red herring here,” Amo said. He emphasized that the Trump administration’s hardline immigration stance should not influence public perception of legal immigration programs, citing instances where naturalization ceremonies were canceled and legal immigrants faced barriers to citizenship. “Even people who have gone through the process the right way [were] not able to make it across the finish line,” he added.
Amo specifically defended the diversity visa lottery program, which some critics have cited in connection with the suspect. “This particular program is something that should not be scapegoated,” he stated. “At the end of the day, we had a criminal kill, with guns, and that is, frankly, something that we should not lose focus of.”
The congressman shifted the conversation toward the nation’s broader problem with gun violence, pointing out that the United States remains an international outlier. “Seventy percent of the mass shootings in the world happen in our country, and we need to solve for that,” Amo said.
He concluded by calling for improved security measures and policy adjustments, but reaffirmed his belief that immigration, including the diversity visa program, has made the country stronger. “We are still an outlier in the world,” he repeated, underscoring his view that gun control should be the priority in preventing future tragedies.
