Arab and Muslim Immigrants at Risk of Deportation in the U.S.: A 2025 Analysis

In recent years, particularly under shifting immigration policies and political climates, Arab and Muslim immigrants in the United States have increasingly found themselves at risk of deportation. As of mid-2025, data from advocacy organizations, immigration attorneys, and federal sources estimate that between 30,000 and 50,000 Arab and Muslim immigrants in the U.S. are currently facing active or potential deportation proceedings. This includes individuals with expired visas, rejected asylum claims, or criminal convictions—even minor ones.

Key Factors Behind Deportation Risk

Policy Shifts Post-2020

While the Biden administration initially eased some of the more aggressive deportation priorities from the Trump era, enforcement against immigrants with final orders of removal or prior criminal records has continued. With the political atmosphere intensifying ahead of the 2024 election and Trump’s re-election, deportation enforcement has increased, particularly targeting communities from Muslim-majority countries listed in previous travel bans.

Profiling and Surveillance

Arab and Muslim immigrants are more likely to be surveilled under national security frameworks. Programs like NSEERS (National Security Entry-Exit Registration System), although officially discontinued, have left a legacy of racial profiling that influences how immigration enforcement interacts with these communities.

Asylum Denials and Backlogs

Many Muslim and Arab immigrants have sought asylum from countries like Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, and Palestine. Yet approval rates remain low—less than 25% in some jurisdictions—and lengthy backlogs mean years of legal limbo where work permits expire and deportation risks increase.

Legal and Economic Barriers

The high cost of legal defense, coupled with limited access to immigration attorneys who speak Arabic or understand Muslim contexts, leaves many without adequate representation in court—a major factor in losing deportation appeals.

Criminalization and Minor Offenses

Under immigration law, even minor misdemeanors (like driving without a license or unpaid fines) can trigger removal proceedings. Arab and Muslim immigrants from low-income communities often fall into this trap.

Real-Life Impacts

• Syrian asylum-seekers living in Michigan have faced recent raids and detentions, despite the war in their homeland.

• Iraqi Chaldean Christians and Muslims alike have been deported, even after decades of living in the U.S.

• In New Jersey, Palestinian students on expired visas face removal despite their active academic and community roles.

Families are being separated. Children are growing up in fear. And mosques and cultural centers have stepped in to provide legal aid and mental health support in the face of increasing deportation threats.

The deportation risks facing Arab and Muslim immigrants in America are not just a matter of law but of identity, security, and justice. As the political winds shift in 2025, the need for advocacy, legal reform, and public awareness is more urgent than ever. Communities must mobilize, and policymakers must be held accountable for immigration practices that disproportionately affect Muslim and Arab populations.