Email, David Sterman, policy analyst, New America, Feb. 20, 2018

On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin) wrote:

Hello from Texas where I work on fact-checks for the PolitiFact Texas project based at the Austin American-Statesman. I write you at moment on the advice of Michelle Mittelstadt.

Vice President Pence said in Dallas on Saturday that he’d learned the day before “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.”

For a fact-check, I am trying to identify the latest pertinent data regarding the two aired figures – 1,100 and especially the seven a day.

Is this a familiar factual claim?

What information would you recommend we consider in evaluating the claim’s accuracy?

Other recommended resources?

To this moment, I’ve heard back only from Carlos A. Diaz of Customs and Border Protection. By email, Diaz suggested we focus on “apprehensions and inadmissbles” figures posted here and keep a focus on the Rio Grande Valley Sector. I’m not yet perceiving how these available figures might support, or speak to, the vice president’s ‘7-a-day’ claim.

I hope to complete our look at this by midday Wednesday. I can be reached by phone or email.

We rely on attributable on-the-record information for our stories.

Thank you,

g.

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W. Gardner Selby

Reporter / News

Austin American-Statesman

PolitiFact Texas

From: Peter Bergen

Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 5:47 PM

To: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)

Subject: Re: Texas reporter, urgent inquiry for a fact-check of Vice President Pence

This claim appears to be total nonsense. The total universe of jihadist terrorism cases in the states since 9/11 is 420 so the Vice President is suggesting that more than 2000 suspected or know terrorists a year are apprehended every year at the southern border makes no sense at all given what we know about the cases where indictments or convictions have occurred in the 17 years since 9/11. And if was the case that known terrorists were apprehended at the border why is it that they haven’t been put on trial,? if this claim were true we would have seen thousands of terrorist trials as a result of these apprehensions, yet I’m not aware of any such trials, nor am I aware of any terrorists coming into the states across the southern border in the universe of the 420 known jihadist terror cases since 9/11 in the US, I’m adding my colleague David sterman if he has additional thoughts

(Sterman)

6:32 p.m.

This is likely a reference to the stat in here that 2554 people were turned away at US borders due to being on a terror watchlist https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/doj-dhs-report-three-out-four-individuals-convicted-international-terrorism-and-terrorism

I don’t know the breakdown of southern vs. airports vs. northern border but seems heavy on the southern border. Though may be true breakdown wise.

Also being on a watchlist is not the same as being a terrorism suspect. It’s a vast architecture that includes many names for varying levels of concern. Denying entry is a low bar to clear. Which is part of the reason citing this number to defend the immigration centric counterterrorism strategy is misleading. It’s more of a sign that a lot is already done.

Best,
David Sterman
Policy Analyst, New America