The 9/11 attacks had a profound impact on US politics, and this can be seen in immigration policy. After the attacks, immigration quickly became an issue of national security, and became related to race relations and tensions and cultural differences and conflicts within US life, infecting every aspect of US social politics. This essay attempts to uncover the contradictions and tensions in American social politics after 9/11 by looking at positions and behavior on the immigration issue from the perspectives of national security, social identity and individual liberty. American political, social and security realms face the urgent and important challenge of finding a balance between these three.