Browsing through various social media platforms in recent times, one may come across content that paints immigrants as a danger to the safety of both families and pets. A few alarming posts allude to immigrants consuming pets such as dogs, cats, and geese in Springfield, Ohio. In addition, some claim that they are taking over residential buildings in Colorado and Chicago, and others assert that they are commandeering school buses in California.
These posts often originate from or are propagated by notable conservatives on social media platforms. Former president Donald Trump has been quoted saying that immigrants are ‘contaminating our nation’s life blood.’ He further suggested during a political rally in Mint Hill, N.C., that had the borders been sealed earlier, ‘Springfield, Ohio and Aurora, Colo. would not have been subject to aggressive takeovers involving extremely powerful firearms that exceed even military standards.’
There have been instances of violent offenses where immigrants were the prime suspects, which have contributed to the anti-immigrant rhetoric. Yet, when scrutinized carefully, experts as well as crime reports and studies often debunk this narrative painting immigrants as major contributors to crime in the US.
One criminology professor at the University of Miami, who has also served as the former director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, commented, ‘We have been seeing a pattern of vilification of a certain part of immigrants ever since the beginning of migration in the U.S.’ This trend is not exclusive to the US and can be noticed in the narratives in other nations such as the UK and Sweden.
Based on historical evidence, immigrants may, in fact, be less likely to engage in criminal activities compared to U.S. citizens. There is no substantiated data that supports the assertion of a major crime wave driven by immigrants in the U.S., despite the amplified discourse in the political and online realms.
Comparative studies were conducted between U.S. citizens and immigrants in Texas, one of the only states that maintain records of the immigration status of individuals who are arrested and prosecuted for crimes. These studies repeatedly discovered that noncitizens were less likely to be convicted or imprisoned than citizens.
Further data from the FBI, although not narrowed down to immigrant status, contradicts any assertions of surging criminal activity due to immigrants. According to the data, there was a significant reduction in crime in the U.S. in 2023. Violent crimes saw a decrease of 3% from 2022, and property crimes were down by 2.4%. Most notably, the murder rate had decreased by 11.6%.
An analysis carried out by the Council on Criminal Justice in July displayed that violent crimes in U.S. cities had fallen to, or slightly below, levels seen before the pandemic, as of June 2024.
A comprehensive study by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2023 examined the incarceration rates of immigrants and U.S.-born citizens over a span of 150 years. The findings suggested that immigrants were 60% less likely to end up in prison.
A comparative analysis by the Cato Institute focused on the homicide conviction rates among legal and illegal immigrants in the U.S., along with U.S. citizens in Texas, from 2013 to 2022. The results showed that the highest rates were associated with native-born Americans.
It is evident that immigrants, like all groups, include individuals who have committed criminal offenses, and these cases should not be disregarded. However, it is equally imperative to understand the danger of overgeneralization, particularly the use of terms such as ‘migrant crime wave’, which frame isolated incidents as representative of the entire immigrant population.
Fact Check: Immigrants Not Major Crime Contributors appeared first on Real News Now.
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