Why do people think immigrants are more likely to commit murder than native-born Americans?

Question

I often see people saying that rising immigration will lead to rising crime, including murder. However, when one looks at crime statistics for major US cities, the lowest murder rates are mostly in cities with huge Hispanic populations, like El Paso and Corpus Christi. The highest murder rates are in cities like Detroit and Baltimore, which have very small Hispanic communities. Am I missing something, or are the anti-immigration people making things up to try to have a stronger case against immigration?

onetwothree

I realize immigrants and Hispanics are two independent groups, but there's a big overlap, and the cities with large Hispanic populations have large immigrant populations. The statistics are a lot easier to come by for which cities have more of different ethnic groups than for which cities have more immigrants.

Also, the controversies over immigration are almost entirely over the level of Hispanic immigration. If we were talking about doubling the number of people coming in each year from Canada or from England, almost nobody would care one way or the other.

Lori K,

That worldnetdaily article is based on very poor methodology, which is so horribly biased as to be ridiculous. Illegal immigrants are about 1/3 of the prison population. This is true. They then assume that this means that illegal immigrants commit 1/3 of murders. This is a ridiculous leap. Illegal immigrants never get probation or community service for minor crimes, unlike citizens. They end up in prison for all sorts of minor crimes. So let's go back to the original question:

If the illegal immigrants (or any other immigrants) are committing lots of murders, then why are the murders mostly happening in places where there aren't many immigrants, legal or illegal? Do illegal immigrants in El Paso drive up to Detroit for the weekend, kill a few people, then go back? Or are the native-born populations, on average, more likely to kill people?

Answer 1

Be clear. We are talking about ILLEGAL ALIENS...NOT LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. Because they have already committed one crime. They have a criminal mentality.

The crux of the matter is that if they were back in their own country, they wouldn't commit ANY murders here. ONE IS TOO MANY. Studies have concluded that 12 Americans are murdered by illegal aliens EVERY SINGLE DAY. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53103 Let's worry about THOSE 12 and their families. 12 every day!! That's more than are killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined! ILLEGALS NEED TO BE DEPORTED.

Answer 2

The correllation is with illegal immigrants and rising violent crime, not immigrants in general. Like all statistics, it's skewed - in this case, perhaps, by international organized crime rings like the MS-13 gangs or the Mexican drug cartels. These organization send members and dupes to America (illegally, of course) to transport or sell drug or establish 'territories' in the north. So it could be seen as much as a case of criminals increasing the numbers of illegals, than as increasing numbers of illegals increasing crime.

Of course, opposing such organizations would be more practical with better border security and immigration enforcement - which is difficult to provide because of the flood of illegals overwhelming the system. So, the two are linked, even if not automatically with the causation the typical positions might imply.

Answer 3

I think you're missing something. What most of these arguments are about is that when a murder is committed by someone who shouldn't have been here in the first place it's adding insult to injury. It's like when they say a criminal committed a crime. He went to prison. As soon as they let him out he committed another crime. Had they kept him in prison, that later crime wouldn't have happened. It's a type of preventable crime. You prevent repeat offenses by keeping violent criminals in prison and you prevent illegal alien offenses by keeping them out of the country. I'm not sure they have a higher MURDER rate, but they DEFINITELY have a higher CRIME rate. Since my neighborhood changed from all white we've had a lot of color changes. The crime rate didn't go up with influx of other hard working Americans (black, Asian, etc). It changed when my neighborhood became mostly Hispanic immigrant. Most of them aren't criminals but they do tend to have larger extended networks of family, friends and acquaitances. I understand them trying to help each other out and what not, but it's time the law abiding take more responsibility for who they bring home and inflict on the neighbors, you know? They are always under the radar and tend to do many more things that under the radar people do than those who do everything on the up and up.

Answer 4

I see what you are saying and it does make sense. Being here illegally does not give you a criminal mentality. That is such and a.sshole thing to say. These people are just trying to survive and give their families the best life possible. If you would not do the same for your children, then what kind of man or woman are you anyway? That would make you a coward. These men and women are hard workers and are not living off the system like alot of American people who are to lazy to get their as.ses out there and get a job. Don't forget we are supporting these irresponsible people who feel the rest of us owe them something.

Answer 5

How many times must it be said, illegals are illegal! They fill our prisons and **** in our desert along with the trash they leave there! If even one of their extra crimes could have been prevented it is important! None of their victim's would be dead or traumatized if they hadn't snuck into our nation, would they? Check the crime rates for California and other regions they've overpopulated! We don't have to make up anything, it is stone cold fact!

Answer 6

You rock Don C!!

Are you saying that the media would lie about the video clips they show of illegal immigrants drinking and driving and hitting pedestrians, robbing gas stations, running into people's houses with their chevy trucks, and kill everyone inside? The good thing about video clips....they don't lie.

I say FORGET the fence. Dig a moat and put alligators all around. Give our border patrol a break from all the drug dealers and illegal immigrants.

Answer 7

If you have disregard for the law in the first place, do you think they are going to have regards for the law afterwords. I say we mount 10 inch guns every 6 or so miles along the border and just play space invaders with the fence hoppers, no more wiping there behinds time to actually have consequances.

Answer 8

It's the illegal bashers who have nothing else but to dig up stories of illegal immigrants drinking and driving and killing someone, or murder committed by an illegal when if fact, I can easily dig up 10 times more stories of crimes committed by legal immigrants or Americans.

Answer 9

Well since there illegals an if they were not here than there would not be this issues,Or as many senseless deaths<>>?

Answer 10

That's all bs! Illegally immigrants help us.