Various Republicans are exploiting the fear raised by Hamas’s deadly terrorist attack on Israel to stoke their usual anti-immigration mania here in the U.S. Among these right-wing exploiters is Governor Kristi Noem:
Noem’s assertion that terrorists are “infiltrating our country” via the U.S.–Mexico border is baseless. Even the Fox News guy she retweets says the “special interest aliens” are not terrorists but “people coming from countries that have conditions that favor or harbor terrorism, or pose a potential national security [sic] to the U.S.” Homeland Security says that “The term SIA does not indicate any specific derogatory information about the individual – and DHS has never indicated that the SIA designation means more than that.”
Besides, the Border Patrol reports far more encounters with someone on the FBI terrorism watchlist at the U.S.–Canada border, and neither Noem nor any other Republican is making noise about a threat from our northern neighbor.
Whichever border foreigners are crossing to get here, and whatever their immigration status, the tiny fraction of terrorists sneaking in among them aren’t causing enough trouble to warrant major government action. So concluded the conservative Cato Institute in this August 2023 analysis of terrorism and immigration, which found that, from 1975 through 2022, foreign terrorists who entered the country illegally killed no one on American soil. The handful of foreign terrorists who did kill folks in America during that period wrought far less murder and mayhem than we do to ourselves: “The annual chance of being murdered by someone other than a foreign-born terrorist in a normal homicide was more than 316 times greater than the chance of dying in a foreign-born terrorist’s attack.”
The U.S. murder rate declined from 9.7 per 100,000 in 1975 to 7.4 per 100,000 in 2022, whereas the 1975–2022 rate of murder committed by foreign‐born terrorists was 0.023 per 100,000 per year, only spiking at 1.05 in 2001 (see Figure 1). Zero Americans were killed in a domestic attack committed by foreign‐born terrorists in 30 of the 48 examined years. In the 21 years after 9/11, only 6 years were marred by successful foreign‐born terrorist attacks [Alex Nowrasteh, “Terrorism and Immigration: A Risk Analysis, 1975–2022,” Cato Institute, 2023.08.22].
The 19 Saudis who committed the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (and who entered through airports, not southern land crossings) skew the figures hard, making Islamists like the Hamas butchers the deadliest ideological group among those foreign terrorists. But after the Islamist, the deadliest ideological subset of foreign terrorists on U.S. soil are right-wingers, who killed 11 people in the U.S. during the last 47 years. Leftist terrorists killed only one person here during that time. Neither group poses much threat: the chances of being killed by a right-wing foreign terrorist were 1 in 1.2 billion, while the chances of being killed by a left-wing foreign terrorist were 1 in 13.2 billion.
Cato concludes that Noem’s fearmongering should not drive a government response; ever the consistent conservatives, Cato says government is probably already spending too much on chasing the figments of fervent Noemish imaginations at the border:
Terrorism presents a real threat to the life, liberty, and property of Americans. That has led many Americans to worry about foreign‐born terrorists entering the United States, either legally or illegally, and carrying out disastrous attacks. But foreign‐born terrorism on U.S. soil is a low‐probability event that poses small risks and low costs on Americans as a whole….
There are several lessons for policymakers. First, relative to other risks and the absolute danger posed by foreign‐born terrorism, the federal government likely spends too many resources on reducing the threat of foreign‐born terrorism. Second, the threat posed by foreign‐born terrorism is not a good reason to reduce immigration to the United States because the costs of such a policy would exceed the benefits from the inflow of immigrants and their substantial contributions to the U.S. economy and society. Third, illegal immigrants are not a significant terrorist threat; there were only nine terrorists who were illegal immigrants and they killed or injured zero people over the entire 48‐year period analyzed here. Fourth, the threat of foreign‐born terrorism has diminished in recent years [Nowrasteh, 2023.08.22].
Don’t let Republicans exploit Hamas’s attack on Israel to make you think Islamists are itching to reënact Invasion U.S.A. but with paragliders from Nuevo Laredo instead of boats from Cuba. Even conservatives reviewing the data can see illegal immigration from the Southern border does not pose the terrorism threat that Kristi Noem and other right-wing opportunists want you to believe it does
All “special interest aliens” have to do to infiltrate U.S. security is pay the initiation fee at Mar a Lardo, sit at the bar, eat at the dining room or shower in the SCIF facility in the basement. Those are the REAL “special interested” folks.
And therein lies the problem: see how much Cory had to write (and research) and I had to read to combat an inaccurate, inflammatory tweet? Brazen lying — especially with an emotional jolt — has SUCH an advantage given social media’s ability to spread that lie. Compound that with the MAGA mindset of promoting everything their cult leaders spew. This is not a new or unique observation, but frustrating none the less.
When American, home-grown terrorists shoot up a school or shopping mall, future tragic deaths are immune from remedy because of Second Amendment protections. Violence is not the fear; skin color is.
More lies about terrorists as perpetrated by NRA spokes liar Dana Louse……
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/verify/verify-can-a-person-on-the-fbis-terrorism-watch-list-pass-a-background-check-to-purchase-a-gun/65-cd99dd9a-d222-4023-a2e9-99f9ada20a02
O, spot on! You nailed the problem, exactly. The lazy media will only parrot the lies. The lazy media will not investigate the lies, AND call out the liar.
The lazy media act like this for . . . “access”, and for inventing a “both sides” fairy tale”.
Why would terrorists from Iran come to America when we already have thousands and thousands of our own home grown white boys that want a civil war against the peaceful citizens of this country. We should be deporting these terrorist guys and gals to Russia where they can be with the Red Sparrow and their boy Pootie.
Let’s hear from Joe Biden on our mean girl’s comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5tMn6CalA&t=91s
The rest of the world is clear about President Biden’s protection this country and of our friends and allies. Silly girls like NOem want attention. Lewandowski, where are ye boy, your gal needs tended to.
Liz Cheney spoke well at the U of M, Humphrey School last week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnhg_oHxrGk
Noem is unqualified to be the Governor of South Dakota. Neither is she qualified to be the US president. She is a hack. Only in government for her own corrupt ways and she would do the same as president. She will use any office to pad her own wants and the wants if other corrupt politicians in government. Mostly, but not only, the Republican party. She/they do not t care about American citizens or what the majority want. She is a user. She has several overturned what South Dakotans have voted for. She stripped out votes for her own selfish wants and needs. Just like most of the Republicans in their party. We need to vote her out before we lose our state and how we want it run. Republicans only want to pad their bank accounts and put the people out of the loop. Our votes don’t matter. She is our horrible overlord! VOTE BLUE!! All Republicans are in politics for their own benefit and to make even more money! I also want to know why anyone in the Senate and the House once their term is over, they continue to receive their full salary for the rest of their lives. Who in the private section would ever be paid forever even after leaving their job. You want to cut government spending stop this ridiculous policy!!! Leave Medicare, Social Security, SNAP and the other programs that help everyday Americans alone. I am a United States Marine Corps Veteran and as things are currently I am sorry I served this country 😢😪
Good. The more people who flee the religious war in the Middle East and find a way into America the better for me. You make your own mindset, I’ve made mine.
Sandra, never be be sorry of stepping up serving your country, that is a source of pride no can take from you. What is OK is to be ashamed
of all the sorry a**ed grifting people who pack bibles and wave flags pretending to be patriotic Americans. They are nothing more than ethnocentrism fools.
Sandra–I’m proud that you served in the Marines. I hope you will reconsider your commitment to our country. Be proud that when called, you served. What is shameful is Trump’s and a big bunch of “conservative ” Republicans who exploit our military for political purposes and who have never served under our flag.
The driving force of terrorism is and always has been one common belief, that neither borders nor signatures on peace accords can address.
https://philarchive.org/archive/BISIRA
I suspect that were Liz Cheney to chose a democrat running mate, someone who’s led and done something, like Michigan Governor Whitmer, California Governor Newsom, New Mexico Governor Grisham, Minnesota Governor Walz, General Millie, etc., (definitely not a senator like Manchin or Sinema) — that Cheney would run the table on the election.
Cheney’s too oft ‘conservative positions’ are an anathema; but her Constitutional grounding has the potential to bring the US back to some sort of sensible center, and to destroy the modern republican party. Certainly, If Cheney runs, it will be the last we see of trump. Cheney is a mother. She has a bigger heart than most republicans. She had the Northstar to meet with Pelosi, to call-out bigot Steve King, and to serve and co-lead the January 6th Committee.
Cheney is not my dream team; but she’s a viable alternative to the octogenarians. (Two years ago I could never imagine writing this. But as Cheney spoke, we learn, we grow., and the republic IS the imperative goal in the 2024 election.)
i receive the Dakota Free Press after 8 at night and don’t think anyone would read what i would comment but i do need to pass on this information and hope some wiil read it.
In the 1920’s a radical group was successfully taking over the USA. The book written by Timothy Egan “A fever in the Heartland” describes what happened then and you will be stunned by how it compares to what is happening today.
Thanks Robert Rademacher, there are photo’s of the klan in Rapid City and now the Klan loves them some Catholics as they have done that evolution thingy to now be Klans folk. Now they have their own messiah with trump, step aside Baby Jesus, what could go wrong?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/books/review/a-fever-in-the-heartland-timothy-egan.html?unlocked_article_code=H1OHKJnRwLyaG1GpdPNEeybC2xOPwCdddw095C5eB8zGW0v5QR9CG1-BiwZ579-a3VOokA8s98yaA4wUNqMlyZuXY54fZn58ss4Js-ERZh0GKALfVKZ-bghgEVMZclm4xlz-Y8BF46YwbUNH25H04BgBO_aNuEtxZp6re2nd3AgE_yu__jc7GfOcUl2X4vkqr0AkZNtS8Hafxxm2fVXGbKxu7_yDCyFh3hbyswq-L28FlZccyWf-z6w0mKpJo3RaO63kuBmyDsfyClb1dWYCYqPQrGxKz6GdFqyPcY8m0ZKDrToUJP1vZ_ptzwai7_Sbt2G8szvGTjZJsBX1yYkrbnh_dz3ZBa3ZfnsGukmdEuf_1VDGKA&smid=url-share
Ms Emery, a couple corrections for your welcome post. Noem is term limited as guv. 2 consecutive terms and she is done and Congressional pensions. Please read just the summary from this link.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL30631
What is the summary of the fever in the Heartland?
A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan’s rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them. The Roaring Twenties–the Jazz Age–has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity.
I remember a leading men’s magazine having done numerous articles on the KKK, but don’t recall hoiw far back they went. I do know they covered early 60’s civil rights down South and how the FBI may have conspoired against certain Northern sympathizers.
We have a Federalist Society contributing law professor at USD who speaks just like Kristi.
“Under President Trump, we saw peace in the Middle East….Under Joe Biden, the Middle East is spiraling back into chaos.”
Patrick Garry:
“[T]the progressive left has tried to weaken every pillar of civil society.”
He argues: “ Ukrainian resistance is triumphing because of the strength and cohesion of Ukraine’s civil society…. But would any of this occur in the United States if our country were similarly confronted with such a national crisis? Well, if it did, it would certainly contradict all that the progressive left has tried to do to American society over the past decades.” (4/14/22)
https://www.renewamerica.com/columns/garry/220414
Quick, to the tip line to report such divisive concepts in our university system.
Well, O, mock the right false values embedded everywhere.
Garry writes: “maybe the left does not want independent, self-sustaining individuals; maybe the left wants the majority of society ultimately dependent on government.”
https://thefederalist.com/2022/01/21/ending-expectations-that-adults-work-for-a-living-erases-human-dignity/
Maybe?? No! Missed the mark entirely. Pablum for the right wing speaker fees and disinformation for Faux News adherents. Might as well present a pretty, sexy Russian operative to students, eh?
No surprise he is an anti-vaxxer, too.
This is a highly ‘regarded’, heavily published professor consumed by bias. A 30 second google search reveals this. gobbledee gook!