Training, SEVIS, and NSEERS will they stop terrorists from entering the U.S.?

Abstract

In order to commit attacks against the U.S. homeland, terrorists must enter the country. Stopping their entry is key to preventing attacks. The 9/11 Commission's Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 9/11 and Terrorist Travel, identified pre-9/11 gaps/weaknesses in U.S. immigration, visa, customs, and border security systems. This thesis will consider the implementation of the 9/11 Commission's key recommendations for immigration: 1) provide standardized operational training and additional guidance to immigration, visa, and customs personnel, 2) establish a foreign student visa compliance and tracking system, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, (SEVIS), and 3) develop and implement the National Security Exit and Entry Registration System (NSEERS). This thesis will also assess the effectiveness of these policies as counterterror measures to determine if they can stop terrorists from entering the U.S. Bruce Schneier's Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World provides a five-step model to analyze and evaluate security systems, technologies, and countermeasures. His model will be applied to assess the implementation/effectiveness of the three key recommendations. To effectively establish priorities and efficiently allocate resources, policymakers require assessments of implemented homeland security recommendations. This thesis offers such an assessment.