Relationship between Immigration and Crime in USA - Essay Example

? Relationship between Immigration and Crime in USA Introduction There have been numerous studies carried out consistently and severally over the past a hundred years by government commissions as well as independent researchers. These studies have found differing conclusions on the issue of crime and immigration. It has been argued that the likelihood of a crime to be committed by an immigrant differs depending on the origin of the immigrant and the country or region in which the immigrant settles. To clear this dilemma, this research investigates on the relationship between immigration and crime in the USA. Statement of the Problem Different studies carried out around the world have led to opposing views on whether or not immigration correlates with crime. According to Ellis, Beaver & Wright (2009) in ‘The Handbook of Crime Correlates’ which is a review of studies of variables related to crime, a majority of studies carried out on immigrants have led to the discovery of high crime rates. This however differs greatly depending on the countries of origin. Other studies conclude that indigenous population have higher crime rates than immigrants. Actualization of the situation in USA is vital for the establishment of immigration policies advised by facts rather than generalizations. Crime Rates for Immigrants vs. Native-Born Crime rates for immigrants have been discovered to be lower than for the native born by a century of research. During the former period of large scale immigration in the early decades of the 20th century, several federal commissions discovered lower levels of crime amongst those that are foreign born as compared to the native born individuals. A 1994 report by the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform came to a similar conclusion. Using data from the outcomes of community studies in Miami, El Paso, San Diego and Chicago; the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; and the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census, academic researchers have also reached the same conclusion (Ellis, Beaver & Wright, 2009). No matter their legal status, immigrants do not cause or even worsen the problem of crime in the United States (Motomura, 2007). This is not surprising at all as the main aim of most immigrants coming into the United States is to go after educational and economic opportunities which are not available in their home countries; and to make a better living for themselves as well as their families. They therefore have much more to lose and very little to gain by engaging in law breaking activities. Undocumented immigrants especially have even more reason to stay clear of law breaking activities given that they are at a risk of deportation due to their lack of legal status if caught. Violent and Property Crime Rates As the undocumented population doubled in size, there was a subsequent drop in property and violent crime rates. Even though from 1994 to 2005, there was a double increase in the undocumented immigrant population to approximately 12 million, there was a reduction in the property crime rate in the United States by 26.4%. The violent crime rate on the other hand fell by a significant 34.2% (Schaefer, 2011). This reduction in crime rate experienced was not only national but also happened in the border cities plus other cities that have large populations of immigrants. Some of these cities include Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, El Paso and San Diego. The reduction in crime rate was in part because of the successful establishment of new strategies in crime-fighting such as community policing which have greatly assisted in formation of cooperative relationships between the police and their communities. How successful such cooperative approaches to law enforcement will be in immigrant communities is dependent on how willing crime witnesses and victims are to come forward to the police (Ellis, Beaver & Wright, 2009). This should be irrespective of their legal status or the legal status of members of their family. According to data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in September 2007 there had been an increase in violent crime rate for two subsequent years since 2004. The property crime rate had however continued to drop and it remains to be observed whether this is the start of a new and longer-term trend (Motomura, 2007). All the same, the fact that even with the simultaneous dramatic increase in the undocumented population the crime rates dropped considerably over the previous ten years showing that the recent increase in violent crimes is not associated with immigration. Imprisonment Likelihood It is five times less likely for immigrants to be in prison than the native-born. In 2000, the imprisonment rate among men aged 18 to 39 who make the great majority of the prison population in the U.S for the native born which was 3.5% was higher than the rate for immigrants which was 0.7% by five times. California state has the largest number of both legal and undocumented immigrants and the imprisonment rate for native-born men aged 18 to 39 was 4.5% which was more than eleven times the rate for immigrants which was 0.4% (Ruben & Walter, 2007). Immigrants originating from countries that account for a majority of the undocumented have lower imprisonment rates compared to the native-born. Also, the imprisonment rate is lower for immigrants from Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico who account for most of the undocumented immigrants in the United States and who have a tendency of having low levels of education. In the year 2000, there were 0.7% of foreign-born Mexican men and 0.5% of both foreign Guatemalan and Salvadoran men in prison. Likewise, the percentage of foreign-born Mexican men without a high-school diploma behind bars in 2000 was at 0.7% and that for foreign-born Guatemalan and Salvadoran men without high-school diploma was at 0.6% (Motomura, 2007). However, putting focus on the share of immigrant prisoners in Federal Prison puts a twist on the real story. By stereotyping immigrants as being criminals, some of the anti-immigrant activists have aimed at the figures given by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) that a quarter of all federal inmates in the United States comprise “criminal aliens”. These figures are nevertheless extremely misleading for two main reasons. First of all, at the end of 2005, only approximately 8% of the 2.2 million people behind bars in the United States were in federal prisons. The majority of prisoners are either in state prisons (57%) or the local jails (34%) (Ramiro & Abel, 2006). Secondly, it is more likely for the undocumented immigrants to be shifted into the federal prison system which is much smaller. This is merely based on the foundation of their immigration status even though they may not have committed an offence that is criminal in nature, or they may have committed an offence that is comparatively minor in nature. Conclusion and Recommendation It has always been a common notion that immigration creates more violence and crime. This belief originates from the impression that either an inflow of foreigners interrupts the existing social regulation mechanisms or that individual immigrants are more likely to engage in violent criminal behaviour as opposed to the natives. While this notion has had a firm hold on the public conscience, a collective body of research has examined the thought that the individuals who are foreign born and/or their descendants are more involved in conducts that are criminal in nature than the native born. However, findings on the issue of immigrant criminality have in general contradicted the notion that immigrants are especially prone to undertaking criminal activities. As a matter of fact, a lot of studies have indicated that first-generation immigrants are less likely to be involved in criminal activity in comparison to natives. In relation to the USA, an increase in immigration does not lead to an increase in the rate of crime. The government should therefore make sound immigration policies for the betterment of the country without passing blame of crimes to immigrants most of whom view the US as a safe haven for them and their families. References Ellis, L., Beaver, K. M., & Wright, J. (2009). Handbook of Crime Correlates. Academic Press. Motomura, H. (2007). Americans in Waiting: the Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, USA. Ramiro, M. & Abel, V. (2006). Immigration and Crime: Race, Ethnicity, and Violence. New York: New York University Press. Ruben, G. & Walter, A. (2007). The Myth of Immigrant Criminality and the Paradox of Assimilation: Incarceration Rates among Native and Foreign-Born Men. Washington, DC: Immigration Policy Center, American Immigration Law Foundation. Schaefer, K. (2011). Immigration Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make. New York: Maiesta Books. Read More