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Two immigrants granted legal U.S. status under the Biden administration are being charged with shooting up a children’s baseball game in the Houston area, according to a DHS statement.
The two immigrants, Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah, a 27-year-old from Jordan, and Ahmad Mawed, a 21-year-old from Lebanon, are facing felony charges of deadly conduct with a firearm after allegedly firing in the direction of a baseball field during a prayer at a youth game in Katy, Texas, on Sunday. They are being held on $100,000 bond.
One coach was hit in the shoulder, reportedly attempting to shield a child. He was hospitalized due to the injury, but has since been released.
According to a statement by the Department of Homeland Security, both immigrants were allowed into the country during the Biden administration.
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Matalgah was granted U.S. citizenship by the Biden administration Aug.1, 2023, according to the agency. The statement said Matalgah was granted citizenship despite prior arrests for drug possession.
Meanwhile, Mawed was given lawful permanent resident status by the Biden administration through an IR-2 visa on June 3, 2021, according to DHS. An IR-2 visa is given to the children of U.S. citizens.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed the Biden administration after the shooting for “not vetting” the immigrants let into the country, especially from high-threat nations.
“Not only did Biden fail the American people by leaving our borders wide open to criminals, but he also legally allowed them to gain status and citizenship to terrorize our communities,” said McLaughlin. “These individuals from high-threat counties were let in by the Biden administration. They clearly were not vetting the aliens they were letting legally enter our country and even become U.S. citizens.
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“This horrific act of terror, the firing on children praying before the start of a baseball game, is pure evil,” she added.
The chaos unfolded at Ameripark youth baseball field, known as The Rac, after three people fired weapons from a nearby pasture in the direction of the field as a youth baseball event was ongoing, according to the Waller County Sheriff’s Office.
Video of the incident showed the 12-year-old Texas Colts players in light blue jerseys running frantically for cover as bullets flew past them. One adult appeared to be struck and fell to the ground near home plate.
Houston Warriors founder Andy Baize told KHOU-TV that after the coach, a 27-year-old man, was shot during a pregame prayer with his team, the wounded man’s first reaction was to protect the children. The sheriff’s office said the victim was transported to Memorial Herman Hospital in downtown Houston, where he was treated and later released.
A statement by The Rac said the incident was due to “recreational shooting on a nearby property.” The statement said that local police were immediately notified of “possible illegal hunting.”
A third suspect, Mahmood Abdelsalam Rababah, 23, is also being charged in the shooting.
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Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. State Department has expanded screening and vetting for visa applicants. In a June statement, the State Department said that “every visa adjudication is a national security decision.”
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The department said, “The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”
Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for former President Joe Biden but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
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