The Center on National Security at Fordham Law has issued its annual report on ISIS prosecutions in the United States. The American Exception: Terrorism Prosecutions in the United States-The ISIS Cases, March 2014 to August 2017 is the third in a series of reports issued by the center that analyzes federal prosecutions of individuals accused of ISIS-related crimes. It offers the first comprehensive account of these cases from the time of investigation to sentencing. It is also the most up-to-date and in-depth compendium of facts on the individual biographies of the 135 individual defendants charged with ISIS-related crimes.
Key findings from the report include the following:
- Although the federal courts have shown a capacity to handle these cases, the dispositions of these cases differ markedly from those of U.S. criminal justice prosecutions overall.
- ISIS-related prosecutions rely increasingly on the use of FBI undercover agents or informants.
- The personal details of the individual defendants differ from those of non-terrorism defendants generally.
The Center on National Security at Fordham Law is a nonpartisan, educational think tank, dedicated to providing thought leaders, policy makers, and the public audience with the tools to better understand national security issues, including terrorism. Its morning news service, The Soufan Group Morning Brief, is considered to be among the most reliable round-ups of national security news in the country.