The Cato Institute, a leading libertarian think tank, published a report on Monday highlighting a significant decline in legal immigration from predominantly Muslim countries during President Donald Trump’s administration.
They expressed concern over a stark 96% reduction in immigrant visa issuances and refugee admissions from nations like Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Libya, Pakistan, and Somalia, countries that they categorize as majority-Muslim. The Cato Institute, known for its pro-immigration stance and opposition to Trump’s border wall, is troubled by these findings.
Interestingly, some proponents of the MAGA movement are actually celebrating this news. The White House even shared a graph from Cato indicating the drop in immigration from these Muslim-majority countries. Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet reacted positively, stating that this is precisely the outcome he voted for.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin commented that coming to America entails a commitment to the Constitution and laws, mentioning that tougher vetting under Trump has drastically reduced admissions from high-risk countries by 96%. Texas Representative Brandon Gill described this development as an “incredible victory” for the American people.
According to the Cato Institute, the Trump administration’s policies have directly led to this substantial drop in refugee and migrant admissions. They cite various proclamations and determinations made by Trump, including his proclamation emphasizing assimilation for refugees and determining refugee admissions primarily for Afrikaners from South Africa. Other measures included bans on entering the U.S. from numerous third-world countries and a freeze on immigrant visa interviews from 75 nations.
Some of these actions have faced legal challenges, with a prominent example being the State Department’s pause on visa processing, which is no longer in effect due to a court ruling. Nonetheless, the statistical data indicates a profound impact on immigration from multiple Muslim nations.
As an illustration, in Biden’s final month in office, the U.S. admitted over 5,500 immigrants and refugees from Afghanistan. In stark contrast, just nine were admitted in February 2026, representing a 99.8% drop. Similarly, from Pakistan, admissions fell from over 3,000 to only 63 during the same period. The Cato report warns that if the current trends continue, fiscal year 2026 may witness the lowest number of immigrants and refugees from these countries in three decades.
They also challenged the administration’s rationale for the 40-country entry ban, asserting that only a couple of countries on that list have perpetrated deadly attacks within the U.S. Furthermore, the report argues that immigrants from Muslim nations tend to be hardworking and contribute positively to government budgets, often being more educated than their U.S.-born counterparts.
On the ground, experiences vary. For instance, in Minnesota, a report found that a considerable proportion of Somali households rely on food stamps and Medicaid, which raises questions about the economic impact of such immigrant populations.
Trump himself shared statistics that highlighted high welfare recipient rates among immigrant households from certain Muslim-majority countries. Despite this, the Cato Institute maintains that the majority of immigrants from these nations aspire to contribute to American society.
Before concluding, the think tank urged Congress to advance the protection of Americans’ rights to associate freely with individuals from diverse international backgrounds, regardless of their home countries. William Wolfe, an executive director at the Center for Baptist Leadership, expressed astonishment at the White House’s acknowledgment of declining legal immigration from these regions, emphasizing a considerable shift in perspectives on immigration policies over the years.
