--- title: Donald Trump to Prioritize Persecuted Christians Refugees description: President Donald Trump told the Christian Broadcasting Network that he will help persecuted Christians under his new refugee policy canonical: https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-27T21:53:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:15:01.296Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Says He Will Prioritize Persecuted Christian Refugees og:description: "We are going to help them" og:url: https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt054d0f5588eb318a/6988b7a9f887dc64e2e98dbe/donald-trump-persecuted-christians.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: President Trump Holds News Conference With UK Prime Minister Theresa May og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Says He Will Prioritize Persecuted Christian Refugees twitter:description: "We are going to help them" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt054d0f5588eb318a/6988b7a9f887dc64e2e98dbe/donald-trump-persecuted-christians.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Says He Will Prioritize Persecuted Christians in Refugee Policy > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a6b1034b-044c-4b2d-b0e5-3499493c2efd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a6b1034b-044c-4b2d-b0e5-3499493c2efd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=a6b1034b-044c-4b2d-b0e5-3499493c2efd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a6b1034b-044c-4b2d-b0e5-3499493c2efd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: What to Know About President Trump's Immigration Orders [Watch (HLS stream): What to Know About President Trump's Immigration Orders](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pGFFV8Yk.m3u8) (1:06)  _Published 2017-01-25. President Donald Trump green-lighted construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico he repeatedly called for while campaigning via an executive action._  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jan 27, 2017 9:53 PM UTC President Donald Trump green-lighted construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico he repeatedly called for while campaigning via an executive action.  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jan 27, 2017 9:53 PM UTC President Trump [told the Christian Broadcasting Network](http://www1.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2017/01/27/brody-file-exclusive-president-trump-says-persecuted-christians-will-be-given-priority-as-refugees) on Friday that he will help persecuted Christians under his new refugee policy, although he did not say whether he would do so for other religious groups. In an interview with David Brody, a popular evangelical newscaster on Christian television, Trump was asked if he will make persecuted Christians a priority. He said he would. “They’ve been horribly treated,” Trump said. “Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible—at least very, very tough to get into the United States? If you were a Muslim, you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible. And the reason that was so unfair is that—everybody was persecuted in all fairness, but they were chopping off the heads of everybody, but more so the Christians. And I thought it was very, very unfair, so we are going to help them.” There were 37,521 Christian refugees admitted to the U.S. during fiscal year 2016—almost the same as the number of Muslim refugees (38,901) admitted to the U.S. during that time, according to a [data analysis by the Pew Research Center](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/05/u-s-admits-record-number-of-muslim-refugees-in-2016/). Overall, more Christian refugees than Muslim refugees have been admitted to the U.S. since fiscal year 2002, according to [Pew](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/05/u-s-admits-record-number-of-muslim-refugees-in-2016/). But in 2016—in the midst of the Syrian refugee crisis—Muslims made up a slightly larger percentage of refugees entering the United States. A 2010 estimate by Pew determined that Syria’s religious composition was 93% Muslim and 5% Christian. Trump is expected to [sign executive actions](http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/trump-plans-to-sign-executive-action-on-refugees-extreme-vetting/index.html) that will limit the flow of refugees into the country and institute a policy of “extreme vetting.” In the portion of Brody’s interview released Friday, Trump was not asked about how he will prioritize Muslim refugees under his new plan. The entire interview will air Sunday at 11 p.m. on Freeform. ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] So we [00:04] have to do [00:08] something about illegal immigration cuz [00:15] our country is [00:35] being decimated. [00:40] [ MUSIC ] [00:43] [ SOUND ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/"},"headline":"President Trump Says He Will Prioritize Persecuted Christians in Refugee Policy","datePublished":"2017-01-27T21:53:02.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T07:15:01.296Z","description":"\"We are going to help them\"","url":"https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/","keywords":["faith","White House","Donald Trump","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt054d0f5588eb318a/6988b7a9f887dc64e2e98dbe/donald-trump-persecuted-christians.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt054d0f5588eb318a/6988b7a9f887dc64e2e98dbe/donald-trump-persecuted-christians.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Trump Holds News Conference With UK Prime Minister Theresa May","caption":"President Trump Holds News Conference With UK Prime Minister Theresa May","creditText":"Andrew Harrer—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/faith/","name":"faith"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/","name":"President Trump Says He Will Prioritize Persecuted Christians in Refugee Policy"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What to Know About President Trump's Immigration Orders","description":"President Donald Trump green-lighted construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico he repeatedly called for while campaigning via an executive action.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/pGFFV8Yk/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-01-25T15:56:15.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pGFFV8Yk.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/","duration":"PT1M6S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4652367/donald-trump-refugee-policy-christians/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```