Annual Chance of Being Murdered by a Foreign-Born Terrorist in an Attack Was 1 in 4.5 Million from 1975-2023

The annual chance of being murdered in a foreign- born terrorist attack in the United States was about 1 in 4.5 million during the 1975-2023 period, according to my new policy analysis published by the Cato Institute. During that time, 230 foreign- born terrorists murdered 3,046 people in attacks on US soil. The 2,979 people killed in the 9/11 attacks account for almost 98 percent of all people killed in foreign- born terrorist attacks during that timeframe. Since 9/11, 44 people have been killed by foreign- born terrorists in domestic attacks. The annual chance of being murdered in a non- terrorist homicide is about 323 times as great as in a foreign- born terrorist attack during the entire period. My analysis counts the visas that the terrorists had upon entry to the United States, which is where the immigration- security failure occurred. Terrorists who entered on tourist visas are responsible for 93 percent of the murders because 18 of the 19 9/11 hijackers entered on tourist visas. Five percent were murdered by terrorists on student visas, mainly because one of the 9/11 hijackers entered on a student visa. Terrorists who entered on other types of visas all account for less than one percent of the murders committed in foreign- born terrorist attacks.