Trump blames Orlando shooting on 'dysfunctional immigration system'
Despite the fact that Orlando shooter Omar Mateen was born in America, Donald Trump said the tragedy — which left at least 49 dead and 53 injured — was a result of our "dysfunctional immigration system" during a Monday address in New Hampshire. "The only reason the killer was in America in the first place was because we allowed his family to come here. That is fact," Trump said, underscoring that Mateen's parents emigrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan. Mateen, like Trump, was born in Queens, New York.
Trump went on to cite the attack at the LGBT nightclub Pulse on Sunday morning as further evidence that he was right to call for a ban of all Muslim immigration to the United States. He then proposed extending that ban to any and all countries that may pose a threat to "the ability of free people to live their lives."
"When I am elected, I will suspend immigration from areas of the world when there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe, or our allies, until we understand how to end these threats," Trump said, explaining that preventing the immigration of radical Islamic terrorists was not just a "national security issue," but a "quality of life issue."
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