DALLAS — Seventy-one Texas Republican lawmakers are calling on Congress to pause immigration in the aftermath of the deadly shooting on Austin’s Sixth Street over the weekend.
The FBI says 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen Ndiaga Diagne, originally from Senegal, opened fire inside Buford’s Bar, killing two people and wounding 14 others. Police shot and killed Diagne at the scene.
In a letter to congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the lawmakers outlined four demands: fully fund the Department of Homeland Security; freeze all H-1B visas and audit current visa holders; pause all immigration until vetting protocols are strengthened; and redirect resources toward identifying domestic threats.
State Rep. Cole Hefner, R-Mount Pleasant, said the measures are necessary to protect Americans. “Until we can guarantee that our systems are capable of identifying, tracking, and vetting individuals who enter the United States, we cannot in good conscience continue to process new immigration applications at the current pace,” Hefner said.
The letter emphasized that if Congress does not act, Texas is prepared to take state-level measures to safeguard its citizens.
