White House urges immigration reforms following New York explosion

WASHINGTON, Dec.11 (Xinhua) -- The White House called on Monday for immigration reforms based on merit-based rules, saying the explosion in New York City hours earlier is evidence the U.S. needs to boost border security.

"We must protect our borders and we must ensure that individuals entering our country are not coming to do harm to people and we must move to a merit-based immigration system." White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at the daily press briefing.

"This attack underscores the need for Congress to work with the president on immigration reforms that enhance the national security and public safety," she said.

"We know that the president's policy calls for an end to chain migration, which is what this individual came to the United States through, and if his policy had been in place, then that attacker would not have been allowed to come in the country," Sanders sad.

A 27-year-old male suspect from Bangladesh detonated a homemade pipe bomb in a walkway at the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square Monday morning, injuring four people including the suspect and causing chaos during the rush hour, the New York authorities said, calling it "an attempted terror attack."

Bangladesh is not on the list of countries impacted by the president's travel ban, but the White House said the suspect was allowed into the country through a family immigrant visa that the administration has sought to curb.

There is unconfirmed speculation that the man was inspired by the Islamic State. Enditem