The number of immigrants let into the U.S. under the “diversity visa” program pushed by Sen. Chuck Schumer and blamed in last week’s New York City terror attack is expected to reach nearly 5 million, more than 300 percent higher than promised, according to a new report.

While some 1.1 million since 1994 have or are slated to receive the visa in a lottery at a rate of about 50,000 a year, a loophole in the system allows them to bring in family members and that “chain migration” average is 3.45 additional immigrants per lottery winner, said the Center for Immigration Studies.

As a result, another 3,803,187 have or are expected to arrive, bringing the total let in under the special visa to 4.9 million.

“When accounting for chain migration, the visa lottery may have brought in more than 3.8 million people in total since 1994. Despite its supporters' assurances that the visa lottery is responsible for only 50,000 immigrants in any given year, chain migration means that the program actually accounts for perhaps 165,000 new immigrants per year because of earlier lottery winners sponsoring their relatives,” said the report.

The terrorist came into our country through what is called the "Diversity Visa Lottery Program," a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017



The diversity visa, which has few requirements to receive, has come under fire since last week’s drive-by killings in New York. Eight were left dead with a terrorist from Uzbekistan, who entered the U.S. under the visa lottery, ran them down.

President Trump in a tweet noted that Schumer, the Senate minority leader from New York, pushed the program. Secrets quoted Schumer defending the program in a 2006 Senate speech in which he said, “My city of New York has dramatically benefited from this program…”

The visa lottery works this way, said CIS:

The Immigration Act of 1990 permanently established the Diversity Visa category. The program benefits individuals from nations that send relatively few immigrants to the United States. Eligibility is straightforward: One needs only a high-school education or two years of work experience in certain jobs to qualify. Millions of people apply every year for the 50,000 green cards distributed by lottery, which does not take age, skills, language ability, or connection to the United States into account.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com