What Drives Evangelicals’ Thinking on Immigration?

So what causes evangelicals to hold the positions they do on immigration? They’re drawing from a mix of influences.

By Aaron Earls

On the whole, American evangelicals have complex opinions on immigration, according to a 2025 Lifeway Research study.  

They want a secure border, legislation that ensures fairness to U.S. taxpayers, and deportation efforts focused on potentially dangerous individuals. Many also see the recent number of immigrants as a drain on economic resources. Yet, evangelicals also support a pathway to citizenship for certain immigrants, such as those who were brought to the U.S. as children. They also recognize a national responsibility to care for refugees and others fleeing hardships in their birth nation.

Influences on immigration positions 

So what causes evangelicals to hold these positions? They’re drawing from a mix of influences.

Evangelicals are most likely to say the Bible has had the greatest influence on their thinking on immigration. Still, only 23% rate the Bible as most influential. Others point to immigrants they have observed (16%), the media (14%), immigrants they have interacted with (11%), friends and family (10%), positions of elected officials (8%), their local church (5%), national Christian leaders (4%), and teachers or professors (2%). Another 7% aren’t sure.

Evangelicals are most likely to say the Bible has had the greatest influence on their thinking on immigration. Still, only 23% rate the Bible as most influential. Share on X

Around a third (32%) say some influence connected to their faith—the Bible, their church, or a Christian leader—has been most influential. More than a quarter (27%) point to personal interactions or observations of immigrants.

Expanded to include the three most influential factors, more evangelicals rank immigrants they have observed in their top three than other influences (42%), followed closely by friends and family (40%), the Bible (38%), the media (37%), and immigrants they have interacted with (35%). Fewer place the positions of elected officials (31%), their local church (22%), national Christian leaders (18%), and teachers or professors (9%) in their top three.

Evangelicals defined by their beliefs, holding to four key theological doctrines, are more likely than self-identified evangelicals to include the Bible (44% v. 39%) and their local church (28% v. 23%) among their top three influences on immigration.

Among self-identified evangelicals, fewer are looking to their friends and family for guidance on immigration. In 2022, 52% rated those others in their lives as a top-three influence. That fell to 45% in 2024 and 40% in 2025.

The Bible and immigration

Politically speaking, evangelicals who voted for Donald Trump in 2024 are more likely than those who voted for other candidates to agree with one of the primary theological beliefs of evangelicalism, that the Bible is the highest authority for what they believe (96% v. 92%). They are less likely, however, than other evangelicals to say the Bible has been most influential for their thinking on immigration (20% v. 26%). They are also less likely to rank the Bible (33% v. 45%) or their local church (20% v. 27%) as one of their top three influences.

Around 2 in 3 evangelicals (64%) say they are very familiar with what the Bible has to say about how immigrants should be treated, with 31% strongly agreeing. Evangelicals by belief are more likely than self-identified evangelicals to strongly agree they are very familiar with the Bible’s teachings about how to treat immigrants (41% v. 31%). Compared to 2015, more self-identified evangelicals say they’re familiar with how the Bible says immigrants should be treated (64% v. 53%).

Around 2 in 3 evangelicals (64%) say they are very familiar with what the Bible has to say about how immigrants should be treated, with 31% strongly agreeing. Share on X

Evangelicals who voted for Trump are less likely than those who voted for other candidates to say they are very familiar with the Bible’s teachings on how immigrants should be treated (62% v. 71%).

Despite a sizable majority of evangelicals of all types being familiar with what the Bible says about the topic, most still want to hear more. Four in 5 (80%) say they would value hearing a sermon that teaches how to apply biblical principles and examples to immigration in the U.S., while 12% disagree.

Trump-voting evangelicals are less likely than other evangelicals to agree they’d value a sermon that teaches how biblical principles and examples can be applied to immigrants (75% v. 89%).

Evangelicals by belief are more likely than self-identified evangelicals to strongly agree that they would value such a sermon (53% v. 41%). Still, more self-evangelicals strongly agree now compared to 2015 (41% v. 30%).

For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.