Texas AG Paxton Calls for Immigration Overhaul After Austin Shooting Suspect's Path to Citizenship Revealed
WACO, Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday called for a stringent overhaul of federal immigration vetting processes, responding to a weekend shooting rampage in Austin carried out by a naturalized U.S. citizen. The attack left three dead, including the assailant, and over a dozen wounded.
The suspect, identified by federal law enforcement sources as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was a legal permanent resident since 2006 and gained citizenship in 2013. Diagne, originally from Senegal, resided in Pflugerville, Texas. According to officials, he was wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with "Property of Allah" and an undershirt featuring an Iranian flag during the attack. Subsequent searches of his apartment reportedly uncovered an Iranian flag and photographs of Iranian leadership.
"Our current system is failing," Paxton stated. "While no vetting process can be perfect, the burden of massive illegal immigration has stretched our law enforcement thin, making it harder to monitor those already here. Congress must act to strengthen how we screen individuals entering the country."
The tragedy erupted into the political arena just days before Texas's Republican primary, where Paxton is challenging incumbent Senator John Cornyn. Cornyn, in a separate statement, framed the shooting as a consequence of radicalization and criticized the Biden administration's border policies. "This underscores the critical need for rigorous vetting before anyone crosses our border," Cornyn told Fox News Digital.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Diagne entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2000 and adjusted his status after marrying a U.S. citizen.
Reactions & Analysis: The incident has intensified the national debate, juxtaposing calls for stricter immigration controls against demands for gun reform. Third GOP primary candidate Rep. Wesley Hunt declared on social media that "Radical Islam has NO place in Texas," invoking his military background.
Voices from the Community:
"This is a heartbreaking failure on multiple levels," said Michael Rodriguez, a security analyst based in Dallas. "It exposes gaps in long-term monitoring, not just initial screening. The focus should be on cohesive domestic counter-radicalization strategies."
"Paxton and Cornyn are exploiting a tragedy to fuel xenophobia," argued Sarah Chen, an immigration lawyer in Austin. "The suspect was vetted multiple times over 13 years. This knee-jerk reaction ignores the complex reality of homegrown radicalization and the pervasive issue of gun violence."
"Enough!" exclaimed David Miller, a small business owner from Houston. "Our leaders have been asleep at the wheel for decades. This isn't about paperwork—it's about the ideology this man displayed. We're letting in people who hate our values, and now Texans are dead because of political correctness."
"As a veteran, I understand the threat, but we must be careful not to stigmatize entire communities," noted Priya Sharma, a college professor in San Antonio. "The conversation needs to be about effective intelligence-sharing and community engagement, not blanket bans or rhetoric that divides us further."