Friday, Dec. 13, 2024
Are undocumented immigrants filling Oklahoma prisons?
Undocumented immigrants account for less than 2% of Oklahoma’s total prison population as of 2024.
According to Gov. Kevin Stitt, there are about 500 prisoners with undocumented status in the state. There are approximately 33,000 detainees held in federal, state, and local prisons and jails, according to spring 2024 data.
A significant body of research has indicated that undocumented immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated for crimes, with one analysis from the CATO Institute finding they were 37.1% less likely to be convicted than documented immigrants or citizens.
Recent studies have also found no correlation between an increase in undocumented immigrants and a rise in violent or property crime in the area.
Ed. note: This Fact Brief was updated on Dec. 19, 2024 to clarify detainee counts.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Washington Examiner Oklahoma wants to empty prisons of illegal immigrants to help Trump with mass deportations
- Vera Institute of Justice People in Jail and Prison in 2024
- NPR Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans, studies find
- National Institute of Justice Undocumented Immigrant Offending Rate Lower Than U.S.-Born Citizen Rate
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) corporation that produces in-depth and investigative journalism as a public service for the benefit of all Oklahomans. Through investigative, fact-driven journalism, we dig deep and examine significant issues facing our state. Our work engages all Oklahomans, amplifies the discussion of important issues and leads to change. We help develop the journalists and journalism of the future.
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