Story highlights American Muslims have alerted law enforcement to more terror suspects than U.S. intelligence has

Muslims are the most racially diverse religious group in the country

This report includes facts and figures from various surveys and studies, all of which are hyperlinked in the body of the story.

(CNN) Donald Trump sparked a firestorm of criticism from liberals, conservatives and those in between when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

But while such a ban is unlikely to be implemented in a country with freedom of religion, the cheers that followed his announcement at a South Carolina rally are telling.

"I think that we should definitely disallow any Muslims from coming in. Any of them," supporter Charlie Marzka, 75, told CNN. "The reason is simple: We can't identify what their attitude is."

Indeed, the truth about Muslims in America is perhaps surprising -- but not in the way Trump and his supporters might think.

A look at polls and studies conducted in the last few years shows that Muslims have been crucial in helping law enforcement find terror suspects in the United States. Many have served in the military protecting the country against terrorists . And in many ways, they're a lot like other everyday Americans.