Immigrants and Crime

At a time when it is so easy to call unwanted facts fake news, it is doubly important to know what is fact and what is not. The administration’s immigration policies–whether building a wall, their stand on sanctuary cities, who can and cannot get a visa, deportations—are all based on the notion—or is it belief—that immigrants bring crimes and that criminals are coming in. It tells us that immigrants bring in gang members, traffickers, drug dealers and other undesirables. In fact the rhetoric has been so strong and so successful that according to a 2017 Gallup poll some 50% of Americans agreed that immigrants bring crime, or at least make crime worse. But that’s not what facts show. After reviewing several studies, an article in the Marshall Project found that “immigration populations in the United States have been growing fast for decades now. Crime in the same period, however, has moved in the opposite direction, with the national rate of violent crime today well below what it was in 1980.” A study in collaboration by four universities found the same thing. According to that study the same applies to even large metropolitan areas with large immigrant population. Again to quote from the article, “In general, the study’s data suggests either that immigration has the effect of reducing average crime, or that there is simply no relationship between the two,” Obviously the reverse of what the administration is maintaining.

3 thoughts on “Immigrants and Crime”

  1. So true, and immigrants are wrongly being forced out, families separated and others who seek entry to avoid genocide in their own country are banned. All this built upon a false narrative painting immigrants as criminals. The opposite is true and one side effect~ in California at least ~ is that crops are now rotting in the field and this administration is looking for other immigrants to replace them…

  2. Immigrants are victims themselves of failing countries. Like any other human being they would like to see their children grow in a healthy and safe environment. that is not always the case in their own countries.

Comments are closed.