Reversed Trend: Christian Refugees Outnumber Muslims Under Trump Administration

More Christian refugees than Muslim entered the United States in the first five months of the Trump administration, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

That reverses the trend under the Obama administration when, during his final fiscal year in office, more Muslim refugees entered the country.

The U.S. took in more than 9,500 Christian refugees from January 21 through June 30; more than 7,200 Muslim refugees gained access during that time.

Pew Research released the report Wednesday, showing that in this period, 50 percent of all refugees were Christians; 38 percent were Muslims. Around 11 percent were a part of other religions, and one percent said they did not belong to any religion.

There has been a change on a monthly basis as well. During February -- President Donald Trump's first full month in the Oval Office -- Muslims made up 50 percent of refugee arrivals; Christians comprised 41 percent.

By June, there was a dramatic change: 57 percent of the refugees entering the U.S. were Christians; 31 percent were Muslim.

"As whole, we look at fiscal 2017 since October, and Muslims and Christians are about the same number," said Phillip Connor, a co-writer of the report, according to Religion News Service. "But seeing the shift month to month was somewhat surprising. … It is a growing increase. It's not just that there was an immediate shift."

Pew reported that in fiscal year 2016, the United States allowed a record number of Muslim refugees to enter the country. 

Pew analyzed refugee data from the State Department for its report.