DOES UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION INCREASE VIOLENT CRIME?

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Sociology
• Public Policy

Background:

• Public, political, and scholarly attention on immigration and crime often overlooks the criminological impact of undocumented immigration.
• Fundamental questions regarding the relationship between undocumented immigration and violent crime remain unanswered.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first longitudinal analysis of the macro-level relationship between undocumented immigration and violence.
• To address the gap in knowledge concerning the criminological consequences of undocumented immigration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized newly developed estimates of the unauthorized population combined with multiple data sources.
• Analyzed data from all 50 states and Washington, DC, from 1990 to 2014.
• Employed fixed-effects regression models, supplemented by models of victimization data and instrumental variable methods.

Main Results:

• Undocumented immigration does not correlate with an increase in violent crime.
• The relationship between undocumented immigration and violent crime is generally negative, though not always statistically significant.
• Little evidence suggests results are due to decreased reporting or selective migration to avoid crime.

Conclusions:

• Findings challenge the assumption that undocumented immigration increases violent crime.
• Results have significant theoretical and policy implications, particularly in light of increased immigration enforcement.
• The study provides empirical evidence on the complex relationship between immigration and crime.