In the wake of a shooting in Austin, Texas by a man investigators believe could be an Islamic terrorist, House Republicans have renewed efforts to pass a bill that would pause all federal immigration programs.
Early Sunday morning, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne allegedly opened fire at an Austin area bar while wearing a hoodie that read “Property of Allah.” The shooting left two dead and 14 others wounded. Officers shot and killed Diagne—a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal and lived in Pflugerville, Texas—at the scene.
“The horrific shooting in Austin over the weekend is a stark reminder that our immigration policies do not serve American interests,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal. “Until we fully pause immigration, preventable tragedies are likely to continue.”
The bill, Pausing All Admissions Until Security is Ensured Act, or PAUSE Act for short, aims to halt all federal government legal immigration and asylum programs “until certain conditions have been met.”
Roy introduced the legislation in November 2025, but the shooting in Austin has led Roy to call on Congress to “find the courage” to support his legislation.
“Democrats (and many Republicans) must find the courage to support my PAUSE Act (H.R. 6225) so we can freeze all immigration until we fix our immigration system,” Roy wrote to The Daily Signal.
In a phone interview with The Daily Signal, Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, who co-sponsored the legislation in November, echoed Roy’s remarks.
“We need to stop all immigration until we figure out who’s here,” in order to “figure out who we want and who we don’t want,” Self said.
“We’ve got a lot of terrorists in our country,” Self added. “They’re dangerous, and they kill people.”
Self also expressed his concerns for “the sleeper cells” who “actually have training and know what they’re doing,” and could retaliate against Americans after the U.S. launched an attack against the Iranian regime this weekend.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump began an intense military campaign against the Iranian regime, which resulted in an escalation of military force in the region and the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Likewise, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another lawmaker who co-sponsored the bill, told The Daily Signal that given “the recent activities in the Middle East, it is imperative that Congress passes the PAUSE Act as soon as possible.”
The United States “cannot allow” the possibility of “millions of hostile Muslims” to reach American soil “as refugees,” Ogles added. “We have already seen what refugees do both here in America and abroad in Europe.”
“They bring a culture that fundamentally is unable to assimilate into the American way of life,” Ogles concluded. “Passing the PAUSE Act would protect America from that possibility.”
Since being introduced, the bill has attracted 11 cosponsors. Beyond Self and Ogles, co-sponsors include Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, among others.
SAVE America Act Comparison
Self told The Daily Signal that just like the SAVE America Act, a bill that aims to require proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter identification before casting a ballot, the PAUSE Act is being stalled in Congress because “Democrats” want to protect “their voters.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not committed to passing the SAVE America Act through the talking filibuster because of a lack of support among Senate Republicans.
“Why are we not passing the SAVE AMERICA Act?” Self said. “This is in the same vein, because the Democrats want illegal immigrants for just the illegal ones to stay in the country. Why? Because they’re their voters.”
Self stressed the importance of passing both legislations, stating that “this is all part and parcel of securing our elections, securing our nation, and saving the constitutional republic.”
Self expressed some optimism, however, stating that “if enough of our colleagues got on board [with the PAUSE Act], he believes the bill could be brought to the floor.
“The leadership has a plan, and the plan is built around winning the midterms,” Self concluded. “But if enough of our colleagues got on board, I believe that would change, and the leadership would bring it to the floor.”
