Timelines

The September 11th attacks, which targeted U.S. landmarks and resulted in several thousand deaths, redefined global and national security policies and approaches to migration. The U.S. identified Al Qaeda as the perpetrator, leading to widespread anti-Muslim sentiment and subsequent violence. Internationally, the U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2002 and Iraq in 2003, resulting in more than 100,000 civilian deaths. Domestically, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the passage of the U.S. Patriot Act exemplified a compromise on civil liberties in the name of increased security, disproportionately affecting Middle Eastern and South Asian immigrants through increased surveillance, arrests, and detentions, despite often lacking connections to terrorism.