Whatever happened to Donald Trump’s Muslim ban? After his original executive order was struck down by the courts, Trump withdrew it and promised to put forth another “extreme vetting” policy that could meet legal muster. So far, one has not been forthcoming. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow recently suggested one reason may be a bombshell report from the Office of Homeland Security’s intelligence division that was leaked to her. It concluded that “most foreign-born U.S.-based violent extremists likely radicalized several years after their entry into the United States, limiting the ability of screening and vetting officials to prevent their entry because of national security concerns.”
Instead of isolating and demonizing foreign-born Muslims, the study suggests, efforts to integrate them into American society would be far more effective in stemming terrorism.
Here’s an essay I wrote on the topic of the Muslim ban for II’s Alpha. Though written before the ban was struck down, the sentiment bears keeping in mind–just in case there’s another one.
Michelle Celarier 