--- title: "Trump administration cuts legal immigration from Muslim-majority countries by 96%" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-cuts-legal-immigration-from-muslim-majority-countries-by-96" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-administration-cuts-legal-immigration-from-muslim-majority-countries-by-96" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-cuts-legal-immigration-from-muslim-majority-countries-by-96.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-administration-cuts-legal-immigration-from-muslim-majority-countries-by-96" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-30T04:25:16.280Z" source_reported: "2026-09-30T03:56:28.153Z" updated: "2026-09-30T04:25:16.280Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 87 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-30T05:30:19.675821+00:00" --- # Trump administration cuts legal immigration from Muslim-majority countries by 96% *State Department figures show visas and refugee admissions fell from over 21,000 in December 2024 to 808 by February 2026, while Afghan arrivals dropped to nine.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. State Department figures and Cato report cited with specific numbers, dates and named officials. - Craft 87 of 100, higher is better. Includes official quotes, clear figures and explains policy context. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Mild emphasis in some headlines but body remains factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - State Department data show visas and refugee admissions from 45 Muslim‑majority countries fell from 21,096 in December 2024 to 808 in February 2026, a 96.2% reduction. - The Cato Institute reports legal immigration from those nations was cut 96% since 2024. - Afghan immigration dropped from 5,563 arrivals in December 2024 to nine in February 2026, a 99.8% decline. - Right‑leaning outlets framed the decline as a Trump achievement and highlighted the percentage drop. State Department statistics reveal that the number of immigrant visas and refugee admissions issued to citizens of 45 Muslim‑majority countries fell from 21,096 in December 2024, the final month of the Biden administration, to just 808 in February 2026. The decline represents a 96.2 per cent drop in legal migration from those nations. The same data set shows that refugee resettlement from Muslim‑majority countries was reduced to zero by February 2026. In addition, arrivals from Afghanistan collapsed from 5,563 in December 2024 to only nine two years later, a 99.8 per cent decrease. A report by the Cato Institute corroborates the State Department figures, stating that legal immigration from majority‑Muslim nations has been cut 96 per cent since 2024. The institute’s country‑by‑country analysis highlights the steepest declines in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Pakistan. > Absolute incredible victory for the American people > > — RedState editorial **96%** — Drop in legal immigration from Muslim‑majority nations (Based on State Department data through February 2026) ## Blindspot No left‑ or centre‑rated outlet ran this story, creating a blindspot in coverage of the immigration decline. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (7) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-30T05:30:19.675821+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-30T06:00:20.313Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - All six right‑rated outlets highlighted the 96 per cent reduction as a hallmark of President Trump’s immigration policy. RedState, the only full‑text report, described the outcome as an "absolute incredible victory for the American people" and called it a "Trump accomplishment". The outlet also noted that conservatives on social media celebrated the figures. Digests from GB News, Hungarian Conservative, Tennessee Star, Next News Network and news‑pravda.com each led on the percentage drop, citing State Department data and the Cato Institute, and reported that the administration was touting the decline as a success. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - mixed: 5 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Apollo News](https://apollo-news.net/harte-manahmen-der-trump-regierung-migration-aus-muslimischen-lndern-um-96-prozent-zurckgegangen) — Tough Action by the Trump Administration: Migration From Muslim Countries Decreased by 96 Percent - [Next News Network](https://nextnewsnetwork.com/2026/09/30/outlet-slams-trump-over-muslim-immigration-cut-then-credits-him-with-96-percent-) — OUTLET SLAMS TRUMP OVER MUSLIM IMMIGRATION CUT — THEN CREDITS HIM WITH 96 PERCENT DROP - [news-pravda.com](https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/09/30/2629805.html) — Nice white pill from CATO - [GB News](https://gbnews.com/politics/us/donald-trump-migration-muslim-countries-96-white-house) — Migration from Muslim countries slashed by 96% since Donald Trump returned to White House - [PressNewsAgency](https://pressnewsagency.org/migration-from-muslim-countries-slashed-by-96-since-donald-trump-returned-to-white-house) — Migration from Muslim countries slashed by 96% since Donald Trump returned to White House - [RedState](https://redstate.com/kyle-becker/2026/09/29/whoops-anti-trump-outlet-boosts-trumps-accomplishment-of-96-reduction-in-muslim-immigrants-n2207550) — Whoops: Anti-Trump Outlet Boosts Trump's Accomplishment of 96% Reduction in Muslim Immigrants - [Hungarian Conservative](https://hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/immigration-united-states-muslim-majority-decrease-afghanistan-donald-trump) — Afghan Immigration to US Falls 99.8 Per Cent under Trump - [Tennessee Star](https://tennesseestar.com/news/trump-admin-touts-96-percent-drop-in-immigration-from-muslim-majority-countries-since-2024/jtnews/2026/09/29) — Trump Admin Touts 96 Percent Drop in Immigration from Muslim-Majority Countries Since 2024 ## Questions **How much did legal immigration from Muslim‑majority countries fall?** State Department data show that legal immigration fell from 21,096 in December 2024 to 808 in February 2026, a reduction of 96.2 per cent. The Cato Institute also reports a 96 per cent cut since 2024, confirming the steep decline. **What happened to Afghan immigration during the same period?** Afghan arrivals dropped from 5,563 in December 2024 to nine by February 2026, representing a 99.8 per cent decline. This figure is consistent across the State Department data and the Cato Institute analysis cited by the right‑leaning reports. **How did right‑leaning outlets portray the immigration drop?** All six right‑rated outlets framed the 96 per cent reduction as a Trump achievement, using language such as "victory" and "accomplishment". RedState’s full report called it an "absolute incredible victory for the American people" and noted conservative praise on social media. **Did any centre or left‑leaning media cover the story?** No centre‑ or left‑rated outlet published a story on the immigration decline, leaving a blindspot in coverage from those parts of the media spectrum. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-cuts-legal-immigration-from-muslim-majority-countries-by-96. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump administration cuts legal immigration from Muslim-majority countries by 96%", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-administration-cuts-legal-immigration-from-muslim-majority-countries-by-96