Known and Suspected Terrorists vs. Special Interest Aliens

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a press release explaining the differences between “known and suspected terrorists (KSTs)” and “special interest aliens (SIAs),” terms that have gained heightened attention due to ongoing discussions about border security and terrorist threats. According to the press release, a KST has either been charged or convicted of terrorism-related offenses, has been identified as a terrorist or member of a terrorist organization, or is reasonably suspected to be engaging in terrorism-related activities. An SIA designation, meanwhile, means the person meets none of these criteria, but due to an analysis of that person’s travel patterns is perceived as a potential national security risk. DHS notes that it has uncovered travel patterns that indicate higher likelihoods of a nexus to terrorism, and people that exhibit these are subjected to increased screening and further investigation. DHS further clarifies that the SIA term does not indicate any specific derogatory information about an individual. Last week, the House Homeland Security Committee released a report on SIAs in the broader context of preventing terrorist travel to the U.S. (a summary of the report was included in the January 3 SRU). Read more at the Department of Homeland Security.