Fact Check: Trump Says 'Vast Majority' of People Convicted for Terror-Related Crimes Are Foreigners
“According to data provided by the Department of Justice, the vast majority of individuals convicted for terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our country. We have seen the attacks at home — from Boston to San Bernardino to the Pentagon and yes, even the World Trade Center," Trump said.
The Facts: It’s unclear which data Trump is actually citing. Lacking the DOJ data Trump cites, the Associated Press notes data from the Department of Homeland Security that indicates Trump is overstating the threat of foreign-born individuals. Just over half of the people convicted for terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 are foreign born. The rest were born in the United States, including some of the perpetrators of the attacks Trump cited, including San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook and the shooter in the Orlando nightclub attack, Omar Mateen, who was born in Queens.
