The American Immigration Council does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide an analysis of the election’s impact on the U.S. immigration system.
Written by Communications Intern Yared Avalos Iniguez and Research Intern Hannah Boyke
Immigrants around the world are increasingly accused of committing crimes, often led by right-wing groups. In the United States, this rhetoric has intensified as politicians aim to demonize immigrants during elections. However, numerous studies have debunked this myth, showing that higher rates of immigration are not correlated with higher crime rates, and that immigrants are not more likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born people. It shows.
Crime decreased as immigration increased
According to an analysis of demographic and crime data by the American Immigration Council, crime rates have decreased as immigration has increased. From 1980 to 2022, the share of immigrants in the U.S. population more than doubled from 6.2% to 13.9%, while the total crime rate increased from 5,900 to 2,335 crimes per 100,000 people to 60.4. % decreased. Specifically, the violent crime rate decreased by 34.5% and the property crime rate decreased by 63.3%.
The same pattern holds true for recent data. Between 2017 and 2022, the immigrant population grew by 1.7 million people, and the share of immigrants in the total population increased from 13.7% to 13.8%. Meanwhile, the national total crime rate decreased by 15.3% from 2,758 per 100,000 to 2,335 per 100,000.
Additionally, supporting research that immigrants do not increase crime rates, data show that immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born individuals and have lower rates of felony arrest than U.S.-born individuals.
A recent study led by Stanford University economist Ran Abramitsky found that immigrants are consistently incarcerated at lower rates than their U.S.-born counterparts, a trend that has continued for 150 years.
Additionally, immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, have lower rates of felony arrest than U.S.-born individuals. A multi-year study of crime statistics published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that illegal immigrants are about half as likely as native-born Americans to be arrested for violent or property crimes.
Using national data, economists at the University of California, Riverside found that illegal immigrants are 33 percent less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born individuals.
Immigration does not increase crime rates
Research has revealed that the growth of the immigrant population in the United States is not correlated with an increase in crime rates. Rather, an increase in the immigrant population is associated with a decrease in violent and property crimes across the United States.
A study published in the Journal of Ethnicity and Criminal Justice, based on 40 years of crime and immigration data across metropolitan areas, found that as the concentration of immigrants in cities increases, violent and property crimes increase. It was found that the incidence decreased. These findings also hold true when examining specific immigrant groups, such as undocumented immigrants or Latino immigrants.
Sanctuary policies do not lead to an increase in crime
Another widespread myth is that sanctuary policies lead to increased crime rates. Although there is no universal definition of sanctuary policies, sanctuary policies generally limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement authorities. Opponents say these policies protect criminals and undermine public safety. But the evidence proves otherwise.
Sanctuary cities in the United States do not have higher crime rates than non-sanctuary cities. A 2017 study by the Center for American Progress found that counties that don’t honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “detainer” requests have an average of 35.5 more crimes per 10,000 people than counties that honor the requests. It turned out to be less. ICE uses detainers to ask local law enforcement agencies to hold potential deportees for up to 48 hours from their scheduled release date.
Numerous studies have confirmed that so-called “sanctuary policies,” such as detainee compliance restrictions, are correlated with lower crime rates at the city and county level. New York City, which became a sanctuary city in 2016, has seen a significant increase in its immigrant population as crime rates have declined.
The study, published in the International Immigration Review and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that jurisdictions with sanctuary policies keep convicted immigrants in ICE detainers at the same rate as unconvicted immigrants. Demonstrates respect. At the same time, sanctuary policies can promote migrants’ feelings of safety and trust in law enforcement when reporting crimes.
Colorado State University researchers found that while sanctuary policies could save county governments a total of $101 million a year due to reduced violent crime, honoring ICE detainees costs counties about $3.3 billion a year. We estimate that it will take a while. Importantly, limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities often allows local law enforcement to build relationships and trust with immigrant communities, which leads to more effective policing and overall community support. This means that it may lead to safety.
conclusion
The conventional wisdom that immigrants increase crime and that sanctuary policies lead to illegal activity is not well supported, and conversely that immigrants, especially first-generation immigrants, are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens. research shows. Policies that protect immigrants do not lead to increased crime rates, but rather contribute to creating safer and more trusting communities for all residents.
Areas: ICE detainees, sanctuary cities, illegal immigrants
