One of the common fears peddled by those opposed to higher rates of immigration often describe graphic crimes committed by individuals who have recently immigrated.
American politicians have widely exaggerated claims of the danger migrants pose to a society; that they’re more likely to be rapists, mentally ill, drug mules, or other kinds of criminals rather than innocent people forced to leave their homes due to situations far beyond their control.
If the narrative isn’t about their criminal intent, it may be that these people will not be able to successfully incorporate into the local culture and that they will be a drain on societal resources rather than the massive economic drivers that migrants actually are. There are also fears that an influx of migrants will dilute the national identity and the cultural hallmarks will be erased and replaced by the culture brought by immigrants.
Recent events have also shown the danger of anti-immigrant rhetoric. The shooter at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York in 2022 pointed to the “Great Replacement Theory,” a thought that migrants and non-white individuals are coming to America to take over as the majority, in his manifesto as the motivator for his murder of ten people.
Research has shown that crime rates among immigrants are actually significantly lower than their national citizen neighbors. According to Stanford University, in the United States immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than a US-citizen. Furthermore, even those who are considered illegal immigrants in border-states are 37.1% less likely to commit a crime.
The Marshall Project found that between 2007 and 2016, there was no link between undocumented immigrants and a rise in violent or property crime in those communities.
Statistics look similar in other countries. In Taiwan, National Police Agency data shows that in 2022 the crime rate among migrant workers was 59.46 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the 114.12 per 100,000 among Taiwanese.
One reason for this lower crime rate is that immigrants, especially ones without all the necessary legal documents, are aware that even a misdemeanor could lead to deportation. Consequently, they are more likely to strictly adhere to local and national ordinances so that they do not jeopardize their current situation.
Immigration is a complicated issue that has no silver-bullet solution. Closing the border is no better a solution to opening wide the country to anyone who wants to come. However, while robust debate is needed in order to determine the line between too-few and too-many incoming immigrants, we must not forget the human faces behind the issue. The vast majority of immigrants go on to to live ordinary lives, quietly contributing to the society that has given them a fresh start.
In New York City, where many migrants end up due to a personal desire to join existing ethnic communities or due to being bussed into the city, a flower shop owner expressed his distaste of their presence at a shelter near a public school by saying, “How do you put migrants across from an elementary school? An all-girl high school, and another public elementary school," he asked. "You don't know who they are. Criminals. You see all the crimes that are being committed by migrants."
The New York Police department has no record of increasing crime rates in the city due to the presence of immigrants.
Check out this and other articles in Issue 2 of The Jiwa Journal.
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