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Will Banning Travelers and Refugees Make Us Safer?

February 9, 2017

There are many unknowns about the application and legality of President Trump's executive order blocking refugees and banning entry of citizens from seven mostly Muslim countries. In this Call with the Experts, RAND's Brian Michael Jenkins, one of the nation's leading experts on terrorism and homeland security, discusses what we know about the perpetrators of terrorism in the United States. Media relations director Jeffrey Hiday moderates the call.

Commentary
Why a Travel Restriction Won't Stop Terrorism at Home
It's not unreasonable to seek a review of immigration, and refugee-vetting procedures make sense. But America's jihadist terrorists are not imported from abroad. They are mostly homegrown.
Feb 10, 2017
Testimony
No Easy Solutions to the Persistent Terrorist Threat
Jihadist terrorism isn't the most dangerous threat to the United States. But it is the most prominent. There are no clear solutions to this problem, and all America's counterterrorism options entail risks.
Feb 14, 2017
Commentary
When Is a Terrorist Really a Terrorist?
Countering mass violence demands a distinction between attackers who are truly inspired by jihadism and those with lesser links. The latter includes people whose mental states and violent tendencies preexist their exposure to the ideology.
Jan 27, 2017
Commentary
How Terrorists Get Here
Of 134 jihadist-inspired terrorists who have carried out or plotted attacks in the United States since 9/11, 96 were U.S. citizens and 19 others were legal permanent residents. While some level of comfort may be drawn from the fact that terrorists are not pouring into the country, there is no basis for complacency.
Dec 18, 2015