ISIS has been growing in power in the Middle East, with many nations trying to keep it at bay. The militant group arose as, partially, the result of American support for al-Qaeda. In the 1980s, the United States supported fighters in Afghanistan in a proxy war with the Soviet Union. After the Cold War ended, the U.S. continued similar operations in Libya, Yugoslavia, and other areas. This support led to an a gap of power in these unstable areas, eventually leading to ISIS.

Civilian support for ISIS in the United States has risen in recent years, as the amount of domestic terrorist arrests is the highest since 9/11.  There are at least 300 active supporters of ISIS on social media and 900 open investigations into “homegrown violent extremists.” After the attacks on Paris, the FBI began concentrating on 100 of these 900 investigations.

While in 2014, the U.S. had 15 ISIS-related arrests, there have been at least 56 charged in 2015 so far. The majority of these people are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. U.S. officials estimate that more than 250 Americans have traveled to Syria to join ISIS. There are several thousand sympathizers for ISIS currently recognized in the United States, with the average ISIS recruit being a 26-year-old man.

ISIS is a severe threat in the Middle East. Problems are only beginning with what is happening in Paris and around the world. The tripling of support in the U.S. is a frightening and alarming problem. These numbers are expected to decline, but only time will tell.