A new study conducted by Lifeway Research has found strong support among evangelicals for refugee resettlement, legal immigration, border security, and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
The study also found little support for deportation of immigrants who are not violent criminals.
Lifeway Research conducted the study in January and surveyed over 1,000 Americans who self-identified as evangelicals and/or strongly affirmed evangelical theological beliefs.
While 90% of those surveyed said they support legislation to “ensure secure national borders,” 90% also said that immigration legislation should “protect the unity of the immediate family” and “respect the God-given dignity of each person.”
Of those surveyed, 74% support potential immigration legislation that would establish a path toward citizenship for those currently living in the United States illegally.
When asked who should be prioritized for deportation, 70% of evangelicals identified by belief and 67% self-identified evangelicals said that “individuals who have been convicted of violent crimes” should be prioritized.
Conversely, 25% of those surveyed said that “individuals who entered the country in the last five years” should be prioritized for deportation, and 18% that “individuals who were brought to the country unlawfully when they were children” should be prioritized.
The study found that most evangelicals also support refugee resettlement programs in the United States, and roughly a third of those surveyed have been personally involved with a ministry that serves refugees or other immigrants.
One such ministry is World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization that has partnered with local churches to serve hundreds of thousands of refugees and other immigrants throughout the United States.
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“Seven in ten evangelical Christians believe that the U.S. has a moral responsibility to receive refugees, including about two-thirds of evangelical Christians who voted for President Trump last November,” Myal Greene, president & CEO of World Relief, said of the study in a press release. “This study also affirms that the vast majority of evangelical Christians believe that legal immigration has benefited our country, a conviction that President Trump has repeatedly expressed as well.”
