Illegal immigration and how it affects crime is a hot topic this election cycle. Republican president candidate Donald Trump says people in the U.S. illegally are increasing the country’s crime rates.
Allison Gorga, a criminologist with Webster University, near St. Louis, said data over decades shows that’s not so.
“Immigration does not lead to higher crime rates,” she told KMOX Radio in St. Louis. “If anything, it actually reduces crime.”
According to Gorga, reasons include immigrants come to the U.S. for opportunity and a better life, so she said they don’t want to squander it.
“They risk quite a lot to be here and they’re not playing around with the rules, so they tend to follow them,” she said.
When comparing individual immigrants to non-immigrants, she said those who were born in the United States commit more crime than those who were born elsewhere.
“When we compare cities, or neighborhoods, or counties that have high concentrations of immigrant populations, those communities have lower crime rates than areas that don’t have those immigrant populations,” said Gorga.
Trump said migrants are “poisoning the blood of America.” If elected, he pledges to organize mass deportations.