Trump crackdown on protests and immigration led to Islamophobia, Muslim group says
WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - Record high Islamophobia in the U.S. in 2025 was driven in part by President Donald Trump's crackdown against pro-Palestinian protests and immigration, a Muslim advocacy group said on Tuesday.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it recorded 8,683 anti-Muslim and anti-Arab complaints in 2025, the highest since it began publishing data in 1996, compared to 8,658 in 2024.
Most complaints were about employment discrimination (12.7%), immigration and asylum (6.5%), hate incidents (6.4%), and travel discrimination like government watchlists and screenings (5.6%), CAIR's report noted.
Over the years, advocates have attributed Islamophobia to the September 11, 2001 attacks; and more recently to anti-immigration sentiment, white supremacy and the fallout of Israel's war in Gaza.
IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN
Trump denies being discriminatory and says his administration aims to curb illegal immigration and improve domestic security. Advocates say the immigration crackdown is unsafe and violates due process.
CAIR noted Trump's targeting of Somali Americans in Minnesota, a majority Muslim community, who he accused of fraud and called "garbage."
CAIR said the government used isolated cases for collective targeting and dismissed Trump's ability to tackle fraud, citing pardons to those with past fraud convictions.
CAIR's Minnesota chapter reported 693 complaints, up from 353 in 2024.
CAIR also noted targeting of Afghan immigrants after two National Guard soldiers were shot in Washington in November for which an Afghan was indicted.
PROTEST CRACKDOWN
Trump alleges pro-Palestinian protesters are antisemitic and sympathize with extremists.
His administration has attempted to deport foreign protesters, threatened freezing funds for universities where protests were held, and ordered aggressive screening of immigrants' online comments.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say he wrongly conflates criticizing Israel's assault on Gaza and occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and advocating for Palestinian rights with supporting extremism.
"The Trump administration framed anyone who holds pro-Palestinian views as inherently threatening," CAIR said.
Notable deportation attempts were against Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained for months while his wife was pregnant, and Leqaa Kordia, who lost over 170 family members in Gaza and was briefly hospitalized following a seizure in detention.
CAIR raised free speech, due process and academic freedom concerns. Trump's crackdown has faced judicial roadblocks.
Republican governors in Florida and Texas have signed orders designating CAIR as a "terrorist" group. CAIR sued over the designations. A judge has blocked Florida's order.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
