A report released today by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) shows that the number of immigrants from Muslim-majority nations to the United States has doubled since September 11, 2001, reaching 3.4 million in 2024.
The data also indicates that the total population of immigrants from majority-Muslim countries and their U.S.-born children now stands at 5.4 million — an increase of 118 percent from 2.5 million in 2001. Immigration from Afghanistan has increased by 476 percent, while Yemeni immigration rose by 416 percent since the attacks.
The report highlights that many of these countries are hostile to the United States and notes approximately 91,000 Afghans, 42,000 Bangladeshis, and 43,000 Pakistanis are in the country illegally. CIS data reveals that the rate of growth in these immigrant populations is seven times faster than the overall U.S.-born population. The report projects that without policy changes, this number could nearly double to 10.4 million by 2050.
The analysis also references events following the September 11 attacks, including President George W. Bush’s remarks at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C., on September 17, 2001, and the November 5, 2009 shooting at Fort Hood by Army Specialist Nidal Malik Hasan. Then-Army Chief of Staff George Casey expressed concerns about potential backlash against Muslim soldiers following that incident.
