A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman late Saturday labeled a string of shootings in Harrisburg, Pa., targeting police officers a terror attack and used the incident to criticize chain migration.

Tyler Houlton said in a tweet that DHS confirmed that the suspect, 51-year-old Ahmed Amin El-Mofty, benefited from extended family chain migration, which takes place when immigrants in the U.S. sponsor other family members for visas.  

“Ahmed Amin El-Mofty was a naturalized U.S. citizen who was admitted to the United States from Egypt on a family-based immigrant visa. El-Mofty was killed yesterday in a shootout after allegedly opening fire and targeting police at multiple locations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,” the acting DHS press secretary said. “The long chain of migration that led to the suspect’s admission into the United States was initiated years ago by a distant relative of the suspect.”

{mosads}El-Mofty allegedly opened fire on police officers in three different locations in the state’s capital on Friday. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were reportedly investigating whether the shootings could be considered an act of terror. 

Houlton said the attack in Pennsylvania and another case in which a suspect was arrested on terror-related money laundering charges “highlight the Trump administration’s concerns with extended family chain migration.”

“Both chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program have been exploited by terrorists to attack our country,” he said. “Not only are the programs less effective at driving economic growth than merit-based immigration systems used by nearly all other countries, the programs make it more difficult to keep dangerous people out of the United States and to protect the safety of every American.” 

President Trump said earlier this month that immigration policies that favor family members of legal U.S. residents posed a danger to national security.

Trump said chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program were to blame for two terror attacks in New York City.

“We’re gonna end both of them,” the president said before signing a defense policy bill at the White House. “We’re going to end ‘em. Fast.”

“Congress must get involved immediately, and they are involved immediately, and I can tell you we have tremendous support,” the president added.