A new report from the Pew Research Center indicates that religious affiliation has a big effect on how people view immigration, with Hindus and Muslims most likely to see increased immigration to the United States as an overall improvement to the country.
The majority of Hindus and Muslims – 61% of Hindus and 51% of Muslims – view the increase in immigration to the United States in a favorable manner, despite just 26% of the total population agreeing with this stance and 35% believing that it very much represents a change for the worse for the nation. Just 10% of Hindus and 15% of Muslims are against an increase in US immigration.
The only other significant group to agree that more immigration is a good thing is atheists, with 47% supporting the change and just 14% against it. Evangelical Protestants are the religious group most opposed to the increase in immigrants in the United States, with 48% believing it is having a negative impact on the country against just 17% in favor.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are the most pro-immigration category of self-identified Christians, although only 25% believe it is an improvement against 30% who think the precise opposite. Christians in general are not happy about the situation either, with just 22% seeing the rise in a positive light and 39% viewing it negatively.
