The Mysterious Origins of a DHS Report Calling for Sunni Muslim Surveillance

FP published a draft government report calling for the screening of Sunni Muslims. How do such reports come to be?

Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images

In a draft report put together in late January, the Department of Homeland Security called for the continuous vetting of Sunni Muslim immigrants to the United States.

In a draft report put together in late January, the Department of Homeland Security called for the continuous vetting of Sunni Muslim immigrants to the United States.

That report, obtained by FP contributor George Joseph, looks at 27 terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11, and states that there would be “great value for the United States government to continue in dedicating resources to continuously evaluate persons of interest,” and suggests that these immigrants to the United States be tracked on a long-term basis.

This week on the E.R., George joins us, along with a former DHS official, to discuss how this report reflects the Trump administration’s larger immigration policies, and its implications for the future.

George Joseph is a contributor to Foreign Policy with bylines also appearing in The Intercept, ProPublica and the Guardian. Follow him on Twitter: @georgejoseph94

John Cohen is the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis and counterterrorism coordinator at the US Dept of Homeland Security and currently a Professor at Rutgers University.

Martin de Bourmont is an FP editorial fellow. He previously worked as a reporter for the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia and as a reporting intern for the New York Times in Paris. Follow him on Twitter: @MBourmont

Sharon Weinberger is FP’s executive editor for news. She is the author of The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency That Changed the World. Follow her on Twitter at: @weinbergersa.

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.