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Tuesday, Apr. 9, 2024

Are undocumented immigrants crossing the US border more likely than native-born Americans to commit crimes?

Tom Kertscher, Wisconsin Watch
no

Research contradicts the claim that immigrants are more likely than native-born Americans to commit crimes.

A study led by a Stanford University researcher updated in March 2024 found from 1870 to 2020 immigrant males had lower incarceration rates than US-born males and “immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated.”

The academic authors of a 2023 book, “Immigration and Crime,” said studies generally show no relationship between immigration and crime.

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers in a 2020 study found in Texas, felony arrest rates were lower among undocumented immigrants compared with native-born U.S. citizens. For violent crimes, U.S.-born citizens were twice as likely as undocumented immigrants to be arrested.

The crime claim was made in congressional testimony by former immigration judge Matthew O’Brien.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, who represents part of eastern Wisconsin, mentioned the claim at an April 2, 2024, campaign event for Donald Trump in Green Bay.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch

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