Trump’s top immigration official claims Hanukkah mass stabber was son of illegal immigrant

Acting Deputy Homeland Secretary Secretary Ken Cuccinelli tweeted Monday that the Hanukkah party stabber was the son of an illegal immigrant and suggested he didn’t assimilate properly. 

‘The attacker is the US Citizen son of an illegal alien who got amnesty under the 1986 amnesty law for illegal immigrants,’ Cuccinelli wrote. ‘Apparently, American values did not take hold among this entire family, at least this one violent, and apparently bigoted, son.’  

The tweet was later taken down. 

The lawyer of Grafton Thomas, the accused stabber, told DailyMail.com that Thomas’ father immigrated to the U.S. from Guyana and now lives in Utah. The two have limited contact. The lawyer did not address Thomas’ father’s immigration status. 

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the deleted tweet, including whether Cuccinelli’s claims that Thomas’ father was an illegal immigrant were accurate. 

Ken Cuccinelli claimed that Thomas Grafton came to the U.S. illegally and that ‘American values did not take hold’ 

Thomas Grafton has been charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary for wielding a machete at a Hanukkah party outside of New York City 

Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg had his Hanukkah party ruined by 37-year-old Grafton Thomas, who was wielding a machete and stabbing attendees, police say 

Thirty seven-year-old Thomas is accused of bursting into the Monsey, New York home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg. 

Rottenberg was hosting a Hanukkah party. 

Thomas was wielding a machete.  

He’s been charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary.  

President Trump blamed anti-Semitism for the attack.    

‘The anti-Semitic attack in Monsey, New York, on the 7th night of Hanukkah last night is horrific,’ he tweeted Sunday. ‘We must all come together to fight, confront, and eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism. Melania and I wish the victims a quick and full recovery.’

While New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was ‘hatred from Washington’ that was responsible. 

Thomas’ family, in a widely distributed statement from his lawyer, said the alleged stabber has ‘a long history of mental illness and hospitalizations.’   

 ‘He has no known history of anti-Semitism and was raised in a home which embraced and respected all religions and races,’ Thomas’ attorney Michael Sussman said. ‘He is not a member of any hate groups.’ 

Law enforcement officials, however, found materials in Thomas’ home that indicate he was purposely targeting Jews. Officers allegedly found on his phone web searches for ‘Why did Hitler hate the Jews,’ in addition to ‘Roman Jewish Temples near me’ and ‘Zionist Temples of Staten Island.’ 

On the night of the attack, Thomas’ internet browser was used to read an article headlined, ‘New York City increases Police presence in Jewish neighborhoods after possible anti-Semitic attacks. Here’s what to know.’    

Cuccinelli’s tweet, tying Thomas’ behavior to his father’s immigration status, was treated with derision. 

‘This is a despicable tweet by a senior gov’t official, impugning the “values” of an entire family based on the actions of one member. Why is the past immigration status of the father relevent to this case, for which a motive is not yet known?’ commented David Lapan of the Bipartisan Policy Center, who previously served as a DHS spokesman. ‘More @HomelandKen fear-mongering,’ Lapan added.