There is often a lot of talk about immigrants and crime rates on the news, so it is important to look at what the statistics say. In a study led by Northwestern University and posted on the website for the Congress of the United States, researchers clearly found that immigrants are less likely to commit criminal acts and be incarcerated than natural-born U.S. citizens.
This is a long-term trend. The study traced it all the way back to the 1870s, demonstrating that immigrants had never been incarcerated more often than U.S.-born citizens. It also found that the gap began increasing in the 1960s. Fast forward to today, and an immigrant is 60% less likely to spend time behind bars than someone who was born in the United States.
The impact on an immigrant’s future
That being said, although immigrants commit crimes at a vastly lower rate, the impact on their future can be significant.
For a crime of moral turpitude, an immigrant may face strict criminal penalties. But this can also be used to remove them from the United States. Someone who previously had an approved status could have that status revoked and find themselves being deported.
This does not happen for all crimes. Many minor crimes or civil offenses are not going to run the risk of removal. Moral turpitude is the standard used, showing that the crime is more serious and shocking in nature.
However, because of the risk of deportation, a criminal act can sometimes upend an immigrant’s entire life. Someone who has been in the United States for years or even decades may have to leave, costing them their job, community connections, the ability to see family members within the U.S., and much more.
Because these ramifications are so severe, immigrants who find themselves facing criminal allegations must be well aware of the defense options at their disposal.