{snip}
Texas Republicans have been increasing scrutiny of the Muslim community for months, and conservative groups have warned of what they call secret “Islamist actors” who want to influence all aspects of American life. After an attack in New Orleans by a Houston man on New Year’s Day 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas directed resources to “combat radical jihadist terrorism.” Since then, the state has investigated schools for partnering with Muslim groups and filed lawsuits against a Muslim-led real estate development.
Candidates in this year’s crowded Republican primary have used the issue to differentiate themselves from their opponents, with some pledging to stop what they called the “Islamification of Texas.”
Then came this weekend’s attack: A man opened fire at a bar in downtown Austin, killing three people and injuring more than a dozen. The shooter was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah” and had a Quran in his vehicle, officials said. He was later identified as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, an naturalized American citizen originally from Senegal.
The killings led to an immediate response from top officials, who used the chance to call for major changes to the country’s immigration rules.
Mr. Abbott, who does not face a serious primary challenger, called for an end to “the current open immigration policies.” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leaving that role to challenge U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary, went a step further and endorsed a post on X that called for “no more Islamic immigration.”
Mr. Roy called on Congress to pass the bill he wrote that would halt nearly all legal immigration.
{snip}
Texas has the largest Muslim population among Republican-led states. The numbers are still comparatively small in a state of more than 30 million: about 2 percent by some estimates.
But last year, Mr. Abbott signed a measure that he said was in response to a rise of Shariah law in the state and designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a major advocacy organization, as a foreign terrorist group. {snip}
{snip}
On Monday, dozens of Texas Republicans cited the shooting in a letter calling for a freeze on certain visas and a pause on all immigration.
{snip}
The post Austin Shooting Puts Islam at Center of Tuesday’s Primaries in Texas appeared first on American Renaissance.
American RenaissanceRead More
R1
T1
