{"id":60430,"date":"2018-12-13T20:13:19","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T20:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/13\/trumps-10-terrorists-where-are-they\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:57:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:57:02","slug":"trumps-10-terrorists-where-are-they","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/2018\/12\/13\/trumps-10-terrorists-where-are-they\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s 10 \u2018terrorists\u2019: Where are they?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 For some time now, President Donald Trump has been encouraging people to think of Mexico as a portal<\/a> for international terrorists who \u201cpour\u201d into the U.S. Except, he says, for 10 who were recently caught by the U.S.: \u201cThese are very serious people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These 10 do not exist, except as a federal statistic that Trump and his vice president put through a rhetorical grinder in service of describing emigrants from Mexico as a menace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is, in fact, genuine concern about the potential for Islamic extremists to make their way across the border into the U.S. But that concern applies more to the Canadian border, where Trump is not planning to put up a wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of active-duty U.S. troops are deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border to strengthen security, and the Department of Homeland Security has asked the Pentagon<\/a> to keep them there through Jan. 31, defense officials said. About 4,000 troops were requested to stay on the border, with some troops being returning home in recent days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is how the myth of the “very serious” 10 developed over the months, culminating this week in Trump’s assertion that “we caught 10 terrorists. These are over the last very short period of time \u2014 10.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REPORT: NO TERRORISTS THREAT FROM MEXICO<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2017, a State Department report on terrorism<\/a> comes out, breaking down perceived threats by country, and it does not fit into Trump\u2019s story about danger from the south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It says: “There are no known international terrorist organizations operating in Mexico, no evidence that any terrorist group has targeted U.S. citizens in Mexican territory, and no credible information that any member of a terrorist group has traveled through Mexico to gain access to the United States.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At most, it notes that “Mexican government officials observed on social media an increase in terrorist group sympathizers in its territory over the previous year.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That report dwells much more on the northern neighbor, home to “Canada-based violent extremists inspired by terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida and their affiliates and adherents.” Moreover, Canada has experienced episodes of terrorism at the hands of sympathizers of those organizations. And, the report says, Canada faces a “significant challenge in prosecuting individuals who have traveled abroad to engage in terrorism, due to the difficulty in proving association with terrorist organizations or having committed specific terrorist acts.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the State Department credits both Canada and Mexico with cooperating with the U.S. on terrorism and strengthening protections. And no evidence has emerged that terrorists are pouring in from Canada, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE \u2018WATCH LIST\u2019 IS GLOBAL<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January, a joint report by the Homeland Security and Justice departments <\/a>states that Homeland Security had 2,554 \u201cencounters\u201d worldwide with people on a terrorist watch list who were trying to travel to the U.S. That breaks down to an average of seven per day, and is the seed of what becomes Trump\u2019s claim about the \u201cvery serious\u201d 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vast majority, 2,170, were trying to come by air, with 335 by land and the rest by sea. Nothing ties them specifically to Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vice President Mike Pence misrepresents the finding the next month, attributing all of those encounters to the Mexico border: “I learned yesterday at the Hidalgo border center that along the southern border of the United States, we actually still apprehend 1,100 individuals a day, who are attempting to enter this country illegally, including seven individuals a day who are either known or suspected terrorists.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s more wrong with his statement than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people encountered by Homeland Security were denied entry to the U.S., not apprehended en masse as Pence says. In some cases law enforcement authorities were notified for “appropriate action,” says the report, giving no detail on arrests or any charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well, it may be a stretch to characterize everyone on the watch list as a “known or suspected” terrorist. The list is an initial trip-wire identifying people who, rightly or wrongly, raise some concern. The standard for placing someone on the list is reasonable suspicion, a lower bar than the probable cause needed to arrest someone for an alleged crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June, the average of seven per day grows to 10, without new statistics being announced. “On average, my department now blocks 10 known or suspected terrorists a day from traveling to or attempting to enter the United States,” says Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CANADA\u2019S WORSE THAN MEXICO, REPORT FINDS<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September, the next annual State Department terrorism report is released, finding “no credible evidence indicating that international terrorist groups have established bases in Mexico, worked with Mexican drug cartels or sent operatives via Mexico into the United States. The U.S. southern border remains vulnerable to potential terrorist transit, although terrorist groups likely seek other means of trying to enter the United States.” More episodes of terrorism are noted in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late in the month, with the Trump administration signaling concern about Central American migrants making their way north, and <\/a>Trump continually prodding for money to build his wall, <\/a>the statistic is brought out, and misshapen, again.<\/p>\n\n\n\t