Trump loves to talk about the threat of violence from illegal immigrants, using his words to demonize entire populations of people. Soundbites from any one of his rallies will include him saying things like, “sanctuary cities release criminal aliens to prey on innocent American lives.”
However, a recent study shows that a rise in the illegal immigrant population does not increase violent crime or drug and alcohol related incidents. A researcher from Wisconsin completed a study tracking the rise in undocumented people since 1990 and the rate of crimes committed, and he found that there were no significant rises in the murder, rape or assault cases. Also, there was no evidence to support the claim that illegal immigrants cause any changes in drug related crimes or deaths.
Another researcher focused on illegal immigrant population in Texas because the state records the citizenship status of people arrested and charged with crimes. The murder, sexual assault and larceny rate was actually lower for undocumented immigrants than it was for natural born Americans there.
The police chief of Houston agrees with the findings stating there has been “no wave of crime by the immigrant community” and that most crimes in the city are committed by those “born and raised” in the United States.
All the research in the world won’t change the bad immigrants tune sung by the GOP though. As several Texas politicians have already expressed. They don’t care what the findings say because “even one crime” committed is one too many. They would rather turn a blind eye to factual data and continue to condemn an entire population.
Fore more read, “Studies Say Illegal Immigration Does Not Increase Violent Crime“ posted by NPR on May 2, 2018.