Islamophobic incidents at US borders spiked 1,000 percent since Trump took office

In just the first 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency, Islamophobic incidents at U.S. borders have risen by 1,035 percent.

According to preliminary data released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), 193 incidents involving U.S. Customs and Borders Protection were recorded from January to March of 2017, up from just 17 cases during the same period last year. Of the 193, 181 were recorded after Trump's attempted "Muslim ban," which was signed on Jan. 27.

CAIR documented a total of 67 cases in 2016 and just 35 total cases in 2015. This means Islamophobic incidents at the U.S. borders have nearly tripled compared to last year ... and that's just after three months. 

The data is based on intense scrutiny, not just comments from disgruntled travelers.

"These are incidents which are reported to us and which we examine,” Corey Saylor, director of CAIR’s group that monitors Islamophobia, told The Independent. 

“We look at these very carefully. Around 50 per cent, we reject.”

Saylor explained that Islamophobia at U.S. borders is nothing new, but he said he believes the spike is definitely due to the election of President Trump and his attempts to ban immigrants and refugees from several Muslim majority countries from entering the U.S.

"I have no doubt in my mind that these things are connected,” he said. 

Islamophobia has been on the rise in the U.S. over the past few years, even before Trump took office.

According to The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), 2016 saw the highest number of anti-Muslim hate groups and the greatest surge in the number of such groups since the center began documenting them in 2010. Overall anti-Muslim hate groups have increased by nearly 200 percent in the U.S. since last year.

In 2016, the FBI revealed that reported hate crimes against Muslims shot up by 67 percent between 2014 and 2015, reaching the highest level since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. 

A recent survey also found that U.S. adults hold the most negative views toward Muslims, compared to followers of other major religions.

While Islamophobia within American society is alarming, CAIR's latest report sheds light on an even scarier trend, revealing that the state is increasingly targeting Muslims. 

At the same time, there have been massive protests by activists and ordinary Americans against Trump's xenophobic policies. Prominent politicians, celebrities and journalists have raised their voices in defense of Muslims, criticizing the growing xenophobia.