(Deseret News) A new study from the Rand Corporation suggests that focusing on immigrants as a source of potential “jihadist terrorism” in the United States could miss the majority of potential terrorists. That’s because, according to the study, the more prominent threat is inside the country already: native-born Americans.
The study, “Trends in the Draw of Americans to Foreign Terrorist Organizations from 9/11 to Today,” found that in recent years the most common demographic profile for an accused terrorist motivated by “radical Islam” describes a native-born American, either white or African-American.
“Our analysis of the demographic profile of U.S. persons drawn to Islamist terrorism since the rise of ISIL may not match the mental image held by law enforcement, policymakers, and the general public,” the authors, Heather Williams, Nathan Chandler, and Eric Robinson, wrote, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS.
