Securing the U.S. from terror trumps all other factors.

• Author: Emord, Jonathan W.
• Position: Worldview

"We need to forbid immigration to the U.S. for any person who originally hails from a country in which terrorists recruit, conduct training, manufacture weapons, or perform tactical operations."

The notion that banning Muslim entry into the U.S. would stop radical Islamists from reaching American shores is naive, offering false hope of stemming terror. It starts with the same fallacious assumption that drives the Post Office to ask if patrons have inserted a weapon or explosive device in a package, namely that those who would do us harm will be honest when we ask them about their backgrounds. If the U.S. were to impose a temporary ban on immigration based on Muslim religion, we would find that Islamic extremists would start identifying themselves as atheists, Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. In short, who among us thinks terrorists intent on harming Americans will tell the truth to authorities and their proxies when asked about their religious affiliation if Muslim faith is a disqualifier for emigration to the U.S.?

At root, Trump, like his fellow Republican candidates, are on to something. We do not have the means to vet those who are interested in coming into the U.S. who originally hail from Arab countries. We cannot know whether anyone admitted is a terrorist. The need to secure America from terror trumps all other factors related to immigration. Precisely because we need to secure U.S. borders first and foremost, a more profound set of measures are required than what Trump has offered.

We need to forbid immigration to the U.S. for any person who originally hails from a country in which terrorists recruit, conduct training, manufacture weapons, or perform tactical operations. We should grant exceptions on a case by case basis limited to those instances where there: is detailed and verifiable proof of a person's background sufficient to establish no terror ties; a critical domestic need for the person's services; and prior evidence of helpful association with Americans. Once people who meet those criteria are admitted into the U.S., they should agree to be subjects of surveillance until such time...