Parsing Immigration Policy Influence Campaigns Inside Evangelical Institutions
Dec 11, 2025
35:36
This week’s episode features Megan Basham, culture reporter for The Daily Wire and author of Shepherds for Sale: How evangelical leaders traded the truth for a leftist agenda, to discuss her reporting on how major philanthropic networks, political groups, and federal funding streams have shaped the policy positions of several large evangelical institutions on immigration issues such as open borders, refugee resettlement, and amnesties.
Basham outlines how organizations like World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals and a federally funded refugee-resettlement contractor, have become influential voices within evangelical leadership. She discusses her findings on the financial and philanthropic support behind campaigns such as the Evangelical Immigration Table, which was created to push support behind left-wing causes, like open borders.
In the episode, Basham walks through her reporting on efforts by political and foundation-backed groups to partner with major denominations, develop Bible-study curricula, and promote messaging on immigration within Christian colleges and ministries. She also describes the tension emerging between national-level leadership and many congregants, noting recent pushback inside denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention. The conversation broadens to examine why institutional leaders in multiple religious traditions – Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, and Jewish – often adopt policy positions that differ from the views of the people in the pews.
The episode also looks at ongoing debates inside evangelical circles about mission work and refugee policy. Should churches be importing targets for witness instead of going where these people are to preach the gospel?
Host
Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies
Guest
Megan Basham is the culture reporter for The Daily Wire
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Shepherds for Sale: How evangelical leaders traded the truth for a leftist agenda
Raking in Hundreds of Millions for Trafficking Kids Destroys U.S. Catholic Bishops' Credibility on Immigration
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Motor-Voter Law Often Lures Non-Citizens into Voting Illegally
‘Operation Allies Welcome’: Parole, Benefits, Vetting Gaps
Intro Montage
Voices in the opening montage:
Basham outlines how organizations like World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals and a federally funded refugee-resettlement contractor, have become influential voices within evangelical leadership. She discusses her findings on the financial and philanthropic support behind campaigns such as the Evangelical Immigration Table, which was created to push support behind left-wing causes, like open borders.
In the episode, Basham walks through her reporting on efforts by political and foundation-backed groups to partner with major denominations, develop Bible-study curricula, and promote messaging on immigration within Christian colleges and ministries. She also describes the tension emerging between national-level leadership and many congregants, noting recent pushback inside denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention. The conversation broadens to examine why institutional leaders in multiple religious traditions – Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, and Jewish – often adopt policy positions that differ from the views of the people in the pews.
The episode also looks at ongoing debates inside evangelical circles about mission work and refugee policy. Should churches be importing targets for witness instead of going where these people are to preach the gospel?
Host
Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies
Guest
Megan Basham is the culture reporter for The Daily Wire
Related
Religious NGO that Settled Afghan Shooter Condemned Trump for Additional Vetting Order
Shepherds for Sale: How evangelical leaders traded the truth for a leftist agenda
Raking in Hundreds of Millions for Trafficking Kids Destroys U.S. Catholic Bishops' Credibility on Immigration
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota
Motor-Voter Law Often Lures Non-Citizens into Voting Illegally
‘Operation Allies Welcome’: Parole, Benefits, Vetting Gaps
Intro Montage
Voices in the opening montage:
- Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
- Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
- President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
- Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
- Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
- Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
- Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
- Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
- Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
- Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
- Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".