Religion & immigration ahead of the 2024 elections

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According to multiple polls, immigration remains one of the top issues on voters’ minds ahead of the 2024 elections.

Come November, both major political parties — Republican and Democratic — are hoping to capitalize on those concerns, with both taking hard lines on the issue in campaign ads, policy positions and party platforms.

For his part, Donald J. Trump has promised a crackdown at the border and mass deportations for those without proper paperwork already living in the United States. And while Kamala Harris favors a longer-term approach focusing on root causes, her campaign has toughened its talk in response to what it feels are voters’ sentiments about rising numbers at the U.S./Mexico border and so-called “immigrant crime” across the country.

But stories of people on the move are more diverse, vibrant and wide-ranging than what comes through in quick-hit headlines.

In this edition of ReligionLink, we provide background, data, storylines, sources and relevant stories to help you better cover this important electoral issue before voters go to the polls in early November.

Border politics

There has been no comprehensive reform to the U.S. immigration system since 1986.

For the last 38 years, a combination of limited, if significant, legislation and executive orders has made U.S. immigration law a patchwork affair. Laws such as the Legal Immigration Family Equity Act in 2000, executive orders such as the Obama administration’s 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Trump’s “zero tolerance” initiatives or Joe Biden’s 2024 executive order that temporarily shut down the United States’ southern border to asylum requests when average daily migrant crossings at legal ports of entry crossed a threshold of 2,500, have been short-lived and limited.

Polls indicate that the U.S. public agrees the system is broken and wants comprehensive reform to fix it. There is considerably less agreement on how to do so. The problems are numerous, of course, and include the erosion of the rule of law for those seeking work in the U.S. labor market, unreasonable obstacles to family reunification, fewer protections for people fleeing persecution, increasing vulnerability of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children — referred to as “Dreamers” — and insufficiently secure borderlands in the U.S. and Mexico, where crime and human trafficking have been on the rise.

To break the deadlock in D.C., various religious organizations — from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, HIAS, Global Refuge or the Evangelical Immigration Table — have suggested a bipartisan approach that both honors the rule of law and is, at the same time, compassionate to immigrants, expanding opportunities for migration and asylum. These groups advocate for a range of changes, including ensuring respect for the God-given dignity of every person; protecting the unity of the immediate family; respecting the rule of law; guaranteeing secure national borders; ensuring fairness to taxpayers; and establishing a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents.

In a recent Lifeway Research poll sponsored by the Evangelical Immigration Table and other groups, a clear majority of evangelicals said they desire immigration reform with increasing urgency. Showing a marked increase from prior years, 77% of poll respondents say it is important that Congress pass significant new immigration legislation in 2024 — up from 71% in 2022 and 68% in 2015.

But a combination of partisanship, presidential voting preferences and right-wing cultural populist attitudes means not all evangelicals feel the same. In particular, white evangelical laity historically views the effects of immigration most negatively and favors the most restrictive immigration policies.

Other Christians, and different religious groups, vary on their emphases and preferences for immigration reform. But regardless of religious affiliation, according to polling from PRRI, there is evidence of what is often called the “contact hypothesis.” This is the social science theory that the more people know or work closely with people with a different social identification, the more likely they are to feel more positively toward, and favor policies that support, that group. Those who have regular contact with immigrants or who have more experience with a wider array of religious groups tend to hold more favorable attitudes toward immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers as a whole.

Altogether, there seems no clear pathway to bipartisan, comprehensive reform. In the meantime, religious actors are active on all sides — and in the middle — advocating for their own solutions to the United States’ immigration situation.

By the numbers

Laced through much of the rhetoric around immigration in U.S. media and politics is talk of unprecedented numbers. But what are the actual numbers at the U.S./Mexico border? What do they mean? And are they as significant as everyone seems to make them out to be?

As Pew Research Center shared earlier this year, “[t]he United States has long had more immigrants than any other country. In fact, the U.S. is home to one-fifth of the world’s international migrants.” Coming from just about every corner of the world, their numbers have fluctuated over the years — with intermittent increases and decreases based on a variety of political, economic, environmental and social factors.

The higher numbers witnessed over the last year are the latest of these temporary escalations in encounters at the U.S./Mexico border. But they are a significant aspect of broader immigration flows to the U.S., which include both temporary and permanent immigration.

According to the Migration Policy Institute’s, aggregate data shows numbers are up across the board:

In fiscal year (FY) 2023, the State Department issued 10.4 million temporary visas for tourists, international students, and others, up from 8.7 million in FY 2019. Inside the United States, the 969,000 immigrants who became citizens in FY 2022, after spending years as lawful permanent residents (LPRs, or green-card holders), represented the largest naturalization total since FY 2008.

Though higher than previous years, they are not historically unprecedented. In fact, they may represent part of a “bounce back” effect after the decline in numbers that began in 2020 given the combined impact of Trump’s restrictive immigration policies and the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is also important to cast numbers entering the U.S. into the context of global migration.

According to an August 2024 report by the Pew Research Center, more than 280 million people, or 3.6% of the world’s population, are international migrants. Of those, Christians make up a much larger share of migrants (47%) than they do of the world’s population (30%). Mexico is the most common origin country for Christian migrants, and the United States is their most common destination. But Jews are most likely to have migrated, with 1-in-5 Jews residing outside of their country of birth.

When it comes to other religious traditions, Muslims account for a slightly larger share of migrants (29%) than of the world’s population (25%). Syria is the most common origin country for Muslim migrants, and Muslims often move to places in the Middle East-North Africa region, such as Saudi Arabia. People without a religion make up a smaller percentage of migrants (13%) than of the global population (23%) — China being the most common origin country for religiously unaffiliated migrants and the U.S. their most common destination. Hindus, however, are starkly underrepresented among international migrants (5%) compared with their share of the global population (15%) and Buddhists make up 4% of the world’s population and 4% of its international migrants, with Myanmar (also called Burma) their most common origin country and Thailand their most common destination.

Storylines and tips

A basic primer on immigration to the U.S. — Trying to make sense of the alphabet soup that is immigration to the U.S. can be daunting for reporters not more familiar with the topic. The Migration Policy Institute provides a helpful primer on how family relationships, employer ties, humanitarian protection and temporary residence all play a role in the make-up for America’s immigration system.

Religion and immigration over the years — A significant storyline is how this is nothing new. The intertwined phenomena of religion and migration have long been mutually reinforcing — and mutually complicating. Religion has always been on the move. Religious ideas, people, technologies, practices and capital have long transcended boundaries and borders — between empires, across continents and to the other sides of the seas. 

Many migrants have moved to escape religious persecution or to live among people who hold similar religious beliefs. Others have moved for economic opportunities or because they were forced to leave home. Whether it be the Hebrew people fleeing Egypt via Sinai on their way to Palestine, Asian immigrants introducing Buddhism to California in the 19th century, African traditional religions taking root in the Americas via the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved persons, or the muhājirūn (Muslim emigrants) fleeing Mecca to Yathrib (Medina) and Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the 600s C.E., religious adherents have been pushed and pulled across land and oceans, creating transnational linkages and networks that span continents and centuries.  

Religious actors on the fronteras and front lines — And religious actors are often on the front line of receiving migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers via shelters, providing aid in the desert, offering family reunification services, employer sponsorship, or providing refugee resettlement and asylum sponsorships. There is the first shelter for Muslim migrants at the U.S./Mexico border, run by a group of Latina Muslim converts from Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, California; Sewa, a Hindu-based nonprofit providing refugee welfare services; and HIAS, a Jewish American organization providing humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees and migrants. More recently, evangelicals are taking advantage of the Welcome Corps program, with churches and individual families sponsoring migrants, or Radiant Hands, Florida’s first Muslim resettlement agency.

Religious and faith-based organizations not only provide front-line services to migrants and refugees but are also  often called on to fill gaps where local, state or federal government agencies and programs fall short.

Language problems — Beyond not conflating the terms “migrant” and “refugee,” it is also vital to avoid other pitfalls in language when reporting on immigration.

According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, religious Americans differ widely on how they refer to the increase in arrivals at the border. While 45% of all U.S. adults say the large number of migrants is a crisis, majorities of white Christian groups — 70% of white evangelical Protestants, 64% of white Catholics and 57% of white nonevangelical Protestants — feel that it is. In comparison, 32% of Black Protestants and 27% of the religiously unaffiliated, or “nones,” say the situation at the border constitutes a crisis.

More than colloquial conundrum, the language we use impacts the policies we support and the perspectives we hold about people crossing borders. Dehumanizing and generalizing language about crises, invasions and natural disasters — referring to migrant “waves,” “swarms” or “floods” — should be curbed, as they undergird certain positions and convey messages about the individuals arriving at U.S. borders that we cannot substantiate or verify.

Furthermore, the focus on the border ignores the many aspects of immigration and immigrant lives within the country’s interior. From immigrants’ positive impact on the economy to the small-town revitalization through the immigrant entrepreneurship in America’s Rustbelt or working conditions in meatpacking and agricultural industries across the States, there is plenty to report on about immigration beyond the border.

A global phenomenon — As mentioned above, it is important to cast your work within the wider story of human migration, past and present, all over the world. Stay abreast of shifts in global migration patterns, including record numbers of displaced people, the increasing militarization of European borders, international xenophobia and anti-migrant rhetoric or trends toward an increase in international remittances. To learn more, read the latest World Migration Report from the International Organization for Migration.

Be aware of culture and trauma — It is critical that you include the voices of migrants and refugees in your reporting, but before you interview someone, keep in mind cultural customs and the basics of trauma-informed reporting.

Attempt to understand a migrant or refugee’s background as best as possible, considering ways to approach and handle cultural issues during the interview. If need be, use an interpreter who shares the same dialect, gender or cultural background (e.g., Kurdish and not Arab), not just the same language, as your interviewee.

When covering migration, journalists should be aware that their sources have often experienced trauma. Not only should you work slowly to gain their trust but also pursue informed consent (whether written or verbal) before any interview. Make sure that you plainly and clearly introduce who you are, what you are doing, who you are working for and what format your piece will be published in.

Never assume your source is safe. Media appearances might not only put your interviewee in harm’s way, but the person’s family, friends and contacts back home. Consider whether the photo, personal detail or other identifying information is necessary to your story.

At the same, set clear boundaries. While it is normal to feel — and show — empathy toward survivors, do not attempt to provide trauma care or counseling. Cover your source’s story with dignity and you have done your job.

Relevant newswriting

Experts and sources

  • Al Otro Lado

    Al Otro Lado provides legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, partnering with numerous faith organizations on both sides of the border.

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association

    The American Immigration Lawyers Association is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, voluntary bar association that provides continuing legal education, professional services, information and expertise to more than 16,000 attorneys who practice and teach immigration law. They provide a network of national and local spokespeople.

  • Asylum Access

    Asylum Access is a network of national organizations in Thailand, Malaysia and Mexico who support forcibly displaced individuals and communities through advocacy and legal aid.

  • Catholic Charities USA

    Catholic Charities USA works in various areas such as adoption counseling, disaster relief, poverty awareness and raising awareness of social issues such as human trafficking and racial inequality. It works to provide aid to people in need and to activate the Catholic population to action. Kerry Alys Robinson is president & CEO.

  • Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)

    Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) promotes the dignity and protects the rights of immigrants in partnership with a dedicated network of Catholic and community legal immigration programs. Executive Director is Anna Galagher. Press contact is Jeremy Dickey.

  • Center for Immigration Research

    The Center for Immigration Research is housed in the sociology department at the University of Houston and previously had a Religion and Migration Project.

    Contact: 713-743-3940.

  • Center for Immigration Studies

    The Center for Immigration Studies is a nonpartisan research organization in Washington, D.C. Many of its researchers have concluded that current high levels of immigration are harming the country. The organization says it’s not anti-immigrant, however; instead, it favors a policy of fewer immigrants but a “warmer welcome for those who are admitted.” Mark Krikorian is executive director.

    Contact: 202-466-8185.

  • Global Refuge

    Global Refuge — formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service — offers refugee resettlement, immigrant legal aid and  inclusion programs, asylum assistance, mental health services for migrants, crisis response and advocacy on behalf of American newcomers. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah is president and CEO.

  • Sergio M. González

    Sergio M. González is Assistant Professor of History at Marquette University. A historian of twentieth-century U.S. migration, labor, and religion, his scholarship focuses on the development of Latino communities in the U.S. Midwest. He is the author of Mexicans in Wisconsin (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2017) and the co-editor of Faith and Power: Latino Religious Politics Since 1945(New York University Press, 2022) with Felipe Hinojosa and Maggie Elmore. His most recently published book, Strangers No Longer: Latino Belonging and Faith in Twentieth-Century Wisconsin (University of Illinois Press, 2024), explores the relationship between Latino communities, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century Midwest.

  • HIAS

    HIAS, originally known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, has worked since 1881 to provide rescue, resettlement and reunion services to Jews in need throughout the world and to other oppressed migrants. Its headquarters are in Silver Spring, Maryland. Mark Hetfield is president, and Beth Oppenheim is CEO.

  • Jon Huckins

    Jon Huckins is the founder and director of Journey Home whose work is to heal soul and society through pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago and Mexico-US Border. He is also a PhD candidate in Christian Social Ethics and adjunct professor of New Testament at Point Loma Nazarene University. Jon has written multiple books, including co-authoring Mending the Divides: Creative Love in a Conflicted World.

  • Interfaith Immigration Coalition

    The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is a group of faith-based organizations that work for immigration reform and justice. Its umbrella covers 500 national and local faith-based organizations and individuals and includes Mennonite, Jewish, Catholic, Christian, Quaker and Unitarian groups.

  • Justice for Immigrants

    Justice for Immigrants is a project of the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform, a part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is a coalition of many Catholic groups.

  • Migration Policy Institute

    The Migration Policy Institute is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that studies migration issues and U.S. immigration policy. Its National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy maintains a “data hub” with information on migration patterns to the U.S. and on immigrants living here and elsewhere around the world. The media contact is Michelle Mittelstadt.

  • Agustín Quiles

    Agustín Quiles is a noted advocate for social justice among Latino Christians in Florida. He has organized churches to demonstrate for the restoration of voting rights to those with felony convictions and mobilized hundreds of pastors to protest racial injustice and stringent immigration policies.

  • Kelly Ryan

    Kelly Ryan is president of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, which operates in 58 countries, serving refugees and other forcibly displaced persons in conflict zones and detention centers, on remote borders and in busy cities. Ryan is also a board member of the Inter-American Foundation and former adviser to the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Media contact is Bridget Cusick.

  • Leopoldo A. Sánchez

    Leopoldo A. Sánchez is Professor of Hispanic Ministries and Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He previously served as director of its Center for Hispanic Studies (2006-24).

  • Leah Sarat

    Leah Sarat is professor at Arizona State University. Her work focuses on ways in which people draw upon religion to confront the physical, emotional and psychological challenges of migration. Her book, Fire in the Canyon: Religion, Migration and the Mexican Dream, centers on the relationship between migration and tourism in an Indigenous community in central Mexico. Sarat’s project “Faith Behind Bars: Encountering Immigrant Detention in Arizona” examines how chaplains, faith-based volunteers and immigrant detainees at Arizona’s Eloy Detention facility draw upon religious narratives and practices to explain, survive and resist the realities of immigration detention.

  • Chelsea Sobolik

    Chelsea Sobolik is a writer based in Washington, D.C., where she is also director of government relations at World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization and the largest evangelical refugee resettlement in the U.S.

  • Matthew Soerens

    Matthew Soerens is the U.S. director of church mobilization for World Relief and national coordinator for Evangelical Immigration Table. He is the the co-author of Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis and Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate.

  • U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

    The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has raised concerns about a range of freedom of conscience questions related to protection of life issues and supports including conscience provisions in proposed funding bills.

  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has spokespersons in Washington, D.C. and throughout the country to respond to media inquiries. The e-mail below is for headquarters, but a full list of Public Affairs Officers is available here.

  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington, D.C., enforces U.S. immigration law.

  • Alicia Wrenn

    Alicia Wrenn is vice president of resettlement and integration at HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees and was originally known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Wrenn leads U.S. programs supporting refugees and asylum-seekers.

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