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Visa Lottery Opened America's Door to Six Foreigners With Terror Links - Reports

© REUTERS / Andrew KellyPolice investigate a pickup truck used in an attack on the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York, US, November 1, 2017.
Police investigate a pickup truck used in an attack on the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York, US, November 1, 2017. - Sputnik International
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The US green card lottery program has come under scrutiny in the wake of the October terrorist attack in New York by an Uzbek citizen who won residency through the program.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – At least six individuals with suspected links to terror resettled in the United States through the Diversity Visa Waiver Program known as the visa lottery, the Fox News broadcaster reported on Wednesday, citing the US presidential administration.

The visa lottery came under fire after the October 31 ramming attack in New York, which killed eight people and injured 11 others, that was perpetrated by Uzbek national Sayfullo Saipov, who won US residency in the visa lottery.

READ MORE: Syrians More Easily Get to US Through Visa Lottery Than Refugee Program

Along with Saipov, five more winners of the visa lottery had links to terror groups, the Fox News broadcaster reported.

One of them, another Uzbek citizen Abdurasul Juraboev was sentenced to 15 years in jail over links to the Daesh terror group several days before Saipov’s attack.

Multiple bikes are crushed along a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. - Sputnik International
Trump Claims Suspect in NYC Attack 'Came Through' Visa Lottery Program
Another winner of the visa lottery, citizen of Pakistan Syed Haris Ahmed was convicted of terror activities in 2009. Egyptian national Hesham Mohamed Ali Hedayet, who received the right to settle in the United States through his wife’s victory in the visa lottery, opened fire at the El Al Airlines ticket counter at the Los Angeles International Airport in 2002, killing two people and injuring three more.

Pakistani national Imran Mandhai, whose parents received permanent legal status due to the visa lottery, pleaded guilty to plotting a bombing attack on the National Guard Armory and electrical power substation near Miami. One more case cited by the presidential administration includes the deportation of Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, a US leader of the Hamas Palestinian movement, in 1997 over his involvement in terror activities.

In light of the New York terror attack, which claimed the lives of eight people, Trump vowed to terminate the Diversity Immigration Lottery and said that it was necessary to get rid of chain migration stressing that he would ask the Congress to start working on this issue immediately.

READ MORE: Trump Vows to Terminate Green Card Lottery After NY Attack

The visa lottery was introduced under the Immigration Act adopted in 1990 and aimed at giving immigrants from "underrepresented countries" the opportunity to live, study and work in the US as permanent residents. The program makes 55,000 Permanent Resident cards available every year.

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