In the hours following the deadly terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States government took the extraordinary step of sealing U.S. borders to traffic and trade by grounding all aircraft flying into or out of the country and imposing a lock-down on the networks of transportation and commerce that are the lifeblood of our economy and society. Given the uncertainty over what might happen next, these emergency procedures were a necessary and appropriate short-term response to the attacks.
Published: December 1, 2003
Share:
Related Resources
What’s in the 2025 House Reconciliation Bill?
- Border Enforcement
- May 14, 2025
Analysis of the immigration and border-related spending recommendations for reconciliation measures approved in the House Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Armed Services Committees in FY 2025.
Read More
Sanctuary Policies: An Overview
- Border Enforcement
- February 21, 2025
Sanctuary policies do not conceal or shelter unauthorized immigrants from detection. Here's what you need to know about these policies.
Read More
Expedited Removal Explainer
- Asylum
- February 20, 2025
Expedited removal is a process by which low-level immigration officers can quickly deport certain noncitizens who are undocumented or have committed fraud or misrepresentation.
Read MoreMap The Impact
Explore immigration data where you live
Our Map the Impact tool has comprehensive coverage of more than 100 data points about immigrants and their contributions in all 50 states and the country overall. It continues to be widely cited in places ranging from Gov. Newsom’s declaration for California’s Immigrant Heritage Month to a Forbes article and PBS’ Two Cents series that targets millennials and Gen Z.
100+
datapoints about immigrants and their contributions
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
