Another Meme Put to Rest

A common conservative argument against looser immigration or amnesty for workers already here is that they are prone to crime and violence. It's an appealing argument, but it has no basis in reality. In fact, the opposite is true:

In fact, immigrants have much lower institutionalization (incarceration) rates than the native born - on the order of one-fifth the rate of natives. More recently arrived immigrants have the lowest relative incarceration rates, and this difference increased from 1980 to 2000. We examine whether the improvement in immigrants' relative incarceration rates over the last three decades is linked to increased deportation, immigrant self-selection, or deterrence. Our evidence suggests that deportation does not drive the results. Rather, the process of migration selects individuals who either have lower criminal propensities or are more responsive to deterrent effects than the average native.

We should be welcoming these people, and helping them attain some sort of legal status. Not demonizing them, and trying to throw them all out.