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Undocumented immigration and terrorism: Is there a connection?
Michael T Light1, Julia T Thomas1
1University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Social Science Research
|March 2, 2021
Summary
This study found no link between increased undocumented immigration and terrorist activity in the U.S. between 1990 and 2014. Analysis of national data revealed no association with attacks, radicalization, or prosecutions.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Sociology
- National Security Studies
Background:
- The September 11, 2001 attacks reframed unauthorized immigration as a national security concern.
- Despite policy focus, empirical research on the link between undocumented immigration and terrorism is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically assess the longitudinal, macro-level relationship between undocumented immigration and terrorism in the United States.
- To address the gap in research connecting immigration flows and terrorist activity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized newly developed estimates of the unauthorized population.
- Employed novel use of sentencing and prosecutorial data to measure terrorism-related activity.
- Integrated criminological, socioeconomic, and demographic data from all 50 states (1990-2014).
- Applied fixed effects negative binomial models for analysis.
Main Results:
- Increased undocumented immigration was not statistically associated with higher rates of terrorist attacks.
- No correlation was found between undocumented immigration and radicalization.
- Analysis did not link undocumented immigration to an increase in terrorism prosecutions.
Conclusions:
- The study's findings do not support the reframing of unauthorized immigration as a direct driver of terrorism.
- Empirical evidence suggests no macro-level association between undocumented immigration and terrorism indicators in the U.S. during the study period.
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