Future of immigration program unclear after New York terror attack

(KMSP / AP) - As investigators search for answers after Tuesday's terror attack in New York City, immigration lawyers are bracing for what comes next. 

President Donald Trump promised on Twitter Wednesday to "get MUCH tougher," a step that many worry will lead to more restrictions on immigration for those hoping to come to the United States.

"We are not only talking about the undocumented community, but also green card holders that are going to be going through all of this," immigrant advocate Maggie Loredo said at a forum on the University of Minnesota campus Wednesday. "The courts and the constitution can try to constrain this administration, and the administration is always going to try and wiggle out of those constraints."

The suspect in the attack was admitted from Uzbekistan to the United States as a part of the State Department's Diversity Visa Lottery program, which Trump called for tighter scrutiny over Wednesday. Despite the calls for a "merit-based program," the White House offered no indication of what it might be planning.

 "We have to get much tougher, much smarter, and less politically correct," Trump said. "What we have right now is a joke and it's a laughingstock." 

He denounced the attack by alleged driver Sayfullo Saipov, calling the 29-year-old an "animal" and saying he would consider sending the man to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, instead of standing trial in New York.

Federal terrorism charges were brought against Saipov as well Wednesday, with the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.