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A recent study found that contrary to popular belief, in the United States, neither legal nor illegal immigrants raise crime rates in the populations them move into.
The study was conducted by Washington’s Immigration Policy Center.
Study Results
The study found incarceration and crime rates in people of every ethnic group are lowest for immigrants – even the less educated ones. This was especially true of Mexicans, Guatemalans, and Salvadorans, who make up the lion’s share of the immigrant population.
The study’s authors say it dispels the common belief – propagated by exorbitant media coverage of gang crimes – that immigrants are responsible for more crime than American natives.
Media Misrepresenation
“The misperception that immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, are responsible for higher crime rates is deeply rooted in American public opinion and is sustained by media anecdotes and popular myth,” said professor of sociology at the University of California – Irvine, Ruben G. Rumbaut. “This perception is not supported empirically. In fact, it is refuted by the preponderance of scientific evidence.”
The study found that the incarceration rate of men between the ages of 18 to 39 born in the united states had an incarceration rate of 3.5 percent, which is about five times higher than the incarceration rate for similarly aged immigrants.
The “Paradox of Assimilation”
The study also found that the second- and third- generation immigrants had higher crime rates than the ones who just came to the country.
The study concluded that these second- and third- generation immigrants become subject to socio-economic forces such as high family disintegration rates, and rates of drug abuse and alcoholism, that increase the crime rates.
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