Devendra Kumar
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign rhetoric has long been centered around the notion that immigrants in the US illegally commit more crimes than native-born Americans. However, a multitude of studies conducted by academics and think tanks has consistently found that this notion is inaccurate. Despite Trump’s emphasis on anecdotal incidents, studies have discovered that immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans.
One such incident that Trump has often cited is the case of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia allegedly murdered by a Venezuelan in the country illegally. While this case is undoubtedly tragic, it is extremely rare and does not accurately represent the broader trends in crime rates among immigrants. The Republican National Committee has also launched a website called “Biden Bloodbath” that highlights anecdotal incidents involving migrants in eight US states, including electoral battlegrounds such as Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. However, this website is based on a flawed understanding of crime rates among immigrants.
A more recent study published in the Annual Review of Criminology found no significant relationship between immigration and crime. Another study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences discovered a lower felony arrest rate for immigrants in the US illegally compared to legal immigrants and native-born US citizens. The libertarian think tank Cato Institute has also published multiple reports that show immigrants in the country committing crimes at lower rates than the native-born.
Some studies may suggest that immigrants commit crimes at a higher rate, but these findings are typically based on flawed methodologies or limited data sets. For example, a study published in 2018 using Arizona state prison records found that immigrants in the country illegally were more likely to be convicted of a crime. However, this study was criticized for including immigrants who had legal status in the US and may have violated the terms of a visa by committing a crime.
The data used to determine crime rates is typically several years old, so it does not explicitly speak to current or future trends. However, several researchers have found consistent patterns over long periods of time. Michael Light, a sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has stated that US research overall does not indicate that immigrants are more likely to commit crime.
The overwhelming evidence suggests that immigrants in the US do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans. Trump’s claims about immigrants and crime are contradicted by a range of studies and data. It is necessary to rely on accurate information and data rather than anecdotal incidents or flawed methodologies in order to make informed decisions about immigration policy.