Studies Prove Immigrants Don't Increase the Crime Rate

TheNation

Another in a series of reports debunking the myth of a connection between immigrants, undocumented immigrants and increased crime rates has just been completed.

According to a New York Times Upshot/ Marshall Project report last year, there was no causal relationship between immigrants and crime. 

And now the Pew Research Center shows the same lack of correlation, this time among undocumented immigrants.

To put it simply, the NY Times reported that: "An analysis derived from the new data is now available to help address this question, suggesting that the growth in illegal immigration does not lead to higher local crime rates." 

Americanprogress.org

The Pew Research Center report found that, between 2007 and 2o16, whether the number of undocumented immigrants increased or fell, violent crime remained flat. Says the New York Times, "A large majority of the areas recorded decreases in both violent and property crime between 2007 and 2016, consistent with a quarter-century decline in crime across the United States. The analysis found that crime went down at similar rates regardless of whether the undocumented population rose or fell. Areas with more unauthorized migration appeared  to have larger drops in crime, although the difference was small and uncertain."

The Pew Research Center report matches what the Cato Institute found which noted that undocumented immigrants in Texas as less likely to be incarcerated than the general population. 

The NYTimes also reported "at the more local level, an analysis by Governing magazine found that metropolitan areas with more undocumented residents had similar rates of violent crime, and lower rates of property crime, than areas with smaller numbers of such residents in 2014." 

Telesurenglish.net

The bottom line of it is that there appears to be no relationship between undocumented immigrants, immigrants and the crime rate.

The NYTimes concludes that: "Preliminary findings indicate that other socioeconomic factors like unemployment rates, housing instability and measures of economic hardship all predict higher rates of different types of crime, while undocumented immigrant populations do not....The data suggests that when it comes to crime, the difference between someone who is called a legal immigrant and an illegal one doesn't seem to matter."

Contrary to what the current administration in the White House is telling us, both documented and undocumented immigrants come to the US to find jobs, not commit crimes. 

It's important to recognize false statements, particularly when they are being made with such frequency by the current administration in the White House. It's just as important to be able to know the truth and demand that our elected representatives respond positively to it.

There is ample evidence to prove that we don't need a stronger, bigger "beautiful" wall at the border we share with Mexico. What we do need is more compassion and a growing recognition that immigrants and refugees are a positive economic force for good. We all stand to benefit by providing adequate funding and other resources to support immigrants and refugees.