New survey: Republicans and White evangelicals are outliers in fear of immigrants invading US

The gap between US adults on immigration is steadily widening as conservatives increasingly embrace anti-immigrant attitudes that include a belief that migrants are invading the United States to displace White citizens, according to new research by Public Religion Research Institute.

The new PRRI study, released January 17, finds 55 percent of Americans consider arrivals from other nations as a strength for US society, compared to 40 percent who describe immigrants as a threat to national values and customs.

Republicans (69 percent) and White evangelical Protestants (65 percent) lead the way in fear of immigrants. By contrast, only 17 percent of Democrats, 37 percent of independents, 31 percent of Hispanic Catholics, 29 percent of Black Protestants, and 27 percent of religiously unaffiliated US adults say they fear immigrants are eroding the nation’s character and traditions.