Undocumented Immigrants’ Lower Crime Rate: Fact vs. Feeling in the Immigration Debate
A study using Texas criminal records from 2012-2018 found that undocumented immigrants had significantly lower arrest rates for violent, property, and drug crimes than U.S.-born citizens. Undocumented immigrants’ arrest rates were consistently less than half that of native-born citizens for most offenses. This research, enabled by Texas’s unique data collection practices, provides a more accurate picture of crime rates by immigration status than previous studies. The study also revealed no evidence suggesting an increase in crime committed by undocumented immigrants during the study period. Further research should examine the replicability of these findings in other jurisdictions.
John Q. Hosedrinker