Discussion»Questions»Life and Society» Anyone know the crime rate of American citizens versus non--citizens? Are Americans kinder/gentler/better/gooder? Source?
From what I'm reading the data collected is not reliable. I found sites that support the assertion that non-citizens' crime rate is higher AND I have found others claiming the reverse. It's just too muddy to form a definitive conclusion.
This is the best source I can find on the subject that appears to be non-biased. It's a very lengthy article. I'm including the final conclusion here.
"In conclusion, we find that it would be a mistake to assume that immigrants as a group are more prone to crime than other groups, or that they should be viewed with more suspicion than others. Even though immigrant incarceration rates are high in some populations, there is no clear evidence that immigrants commit crimes at higher or lower rates than others. Nevertheless, it also would be a mistake to conclude that immigrant crime is insignificant or that offenders’ immigration status is irrelevant in local policing. The newer information available as a result of better screening of the incarcerated population suggests that, in many parts of the country, immigrants are responsible for a significant share of crime. This indicates that there are legitimate public safety reasons for local law enforcement agencies to determine the immigration status of offenders and to work with federal immigration authorities."
