The majority of people at risk of deportation by the Trump administration are Christian, according to a new report.

The research, which draws on census data, was commissioned by the National Association of Evangelicals, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts.

It found that 10 million Christians are vulnerable to deportation, and 7 million Christian US citizens live with a family member at risk of deportation.

Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief said: “Though we´re deeply concerned about fellow Christians, we’re not exclusively concerned with immigrants who happen to share our faith.

"As Christians, we believe that all people, regardless of their religious tradition or nationality, are made in God’s image with inherent dignity." 

He added that the report may come as a surprise to many US Christians, given the wide support shown to Trump by evangelicals. Eight out of ten white evangelicals voted for the president, along with over half of Latino Christians (AP Votecast).

Fear of deportation has prevented some Christians from attending church, as an executive order has permitted ICE agents to enter places of worship to make arrests.

Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals told The Mail that immigrant Christian populations had been helping revive church attendance in the US.

“They’re coming from parts of the world where the church is actually thriving," she told The Mail. "Not only are they bringing that thriving faith and contributing to America, they´re also contributing to the vibrancy of the church in America."