Texas GOP pushes immigration pause after Austin shooting

After a downtown Austin shooting left two dead and 14 wounded, more than 70 Texas House Republicans urged Congress to halt all immigration until proper vetting is in place, with a specific focus on H-1B visas. The push follows Gov. Abbott’s earlier move to freeze new H-1B applications and calls for full funding of the Department of Homeland Security, as Democrats decry gun violence. Police say the suspect, Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is being investigated for potential terrorism, and Republicans have highlighted his immigrant background, though officials note the naturalization process involves extensive vetting and studies show immigrants are not more prone to crime.