Published on March 10, 2024, 2:42 am

Image source: Fox News

The record surge of illegal immigrants at the United States’ southern border is perceived as a “crisis” by more Christians than their non-religious peers, a recent study suggests. This study, conducted by the Pew Research Center, surveyed 5,140 adults from all over the US between Jan.16 and 21. It explored American sentiments on the ongoing immigration issue that continues to be relevant in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.

When considering responses on “the large number of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. at the border”, almost half (45%) judged this situation to be a “crisis”. An additional 32% described it as a “significant problem”, while only about 17% downplayed this as a “minor issue” and an insignificant 4% considered it “not problematic”.

Among religious denominations, white Evangelicals were reported to view the border situation as a crisis most frequently (70%), followed closely by white Catholics (64%), white non-evangelical Protestants (57%) and general Protestants and Catholics (57%). In stark contrast, under one third of black Protestants (32%) and an even smaller percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans (27%) held similar perceptions.

However, due to insufficient responses from Hispanic Catholics and religiously unaffiliated subgroups, no separate analysis could be made for these demographics. The survey also did not contain enough data on other religious groups such as Jews or Muslims for analysis.

Furthermore, participants’ opinions diverged when it came to whether increased migration inflated crime rates in the US. Solid majorities among White Evangelical Protestant (82%), White Catholic (70%), and White Non-Evangelical Protestant (69%) communities believed immigration was linked with elevated criminal activities.

On the other hand, less than half among groups who identified as ‘nothing in particular’ expressed concern over potential crimes arising from surges at the border. Similar trends were seen among Hispanic Catholics (47%), Black Protestants (43%) and the religiously unaffiliated (41%). Interestingly, agnostics (36%) and atheists (24%) were least likely to correlate migration with heightened crime rates.

Opinionated differences across religious communities were observed to mirror existing partisan beliefs. White Christian groups, including Evangelical Protestants, Catholics, and non-evangelical Protestants who predominantly vote for Republican candidates lean towards viewing the situation as a crisis. In contrast, Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics and religious ‘nones’ who typically favor Democratic candidates are less concerned about migrant surges driving up crimes.

Another contributing aspect is understanding why migrants choose the US as their destination in the first place. Data reveals that most Americans agree that “good economic opportunities in the U.S.” (71%), “violence in their home countries” (65%), and lenient immigration law enforcement expecting easy stays once they arrive are the main reasons behind unauthorized immigrants moving into America.

This influx of seekers at American borders is also impacting political approval ratings. More than 7 million migrants have entered since February 2021 in President Joe Biden’s tenure. This surge seems to adversely affect Biden’s approval rating on immigration policies. RealClearPolitics poll averages show that voters are disappointed by his approach to immigration issues. Hence it can be predicted that during the 2024 presidential race, where Biden may face ex-President Donald Trump known for advocating solid border safety measures during his previous term, this issue will hold substantial importance.

Hence, addressing these apprehensions underlined by trusted news resources from a Christian worldview will continue to shape broader socio-political perspectives towards US immigration policies leading up to subsequent federal elections.