Does immigration actually cause crime to go up?
The short answer is no. Multiple large-scale studies across different countries and time periods consistently find that immigration does not significantly increase local crime rates. A 2024 review of international data by Marie and Pinotti concluded that despite immigrants sometimes being overrepresented in arrest statistics (often because they are younger and more likely to be male), immigration as a whole has a null effect on crime rates in host countries [1]. This means that even when more immigrants move into an area, the overall crime rate does not rise.
A 2025 study by Proffit and Feldmeyer directly examined four common political claims about immigration and crime—that it increases crime, fuels gang violence, causes drug problems, and requires mass deportation—and found that all four are myths with no consistent empirical support [3]. The evidence is clear: the idea that immigration drives up crime is not backed by data.
How do the crime rates of immigrants compare to native-born citizens?
When you compare apples to apples, immigrants—including undocumented immigrants—commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens. The most compelling evidence comes from a 2021 study by Light, He, and Robey, which analyzed every arrest in Texas from 2012 to 2018. They found that undocumented immigrants were over 2 times less likely to be arrested for violent crimes, 2.5 times less likely for drug crimes, and over 4 times less likely for property crimes compared to U.S.-born citizens [4]. These differences held even when the researchers used different ways of counting the undocumented population or looked at convictions instead of arrests.
This pattern is not unique to the United States. A 2025 cross-country analysis by Xu found that the relationship between immigration and urban crime rates is not proportional—and in some cases, it is actually negative, meaning more immigrants were linked to lower crime [5]. The study noted that immigrants' strong desire to integrate into society and the stability of the host city's economy help explain this finding.
Do immigration policies or immigrant diversity change the picture?
Yes, but not in the way you might expect. A 2023 study by Tortú and colleagues analyzed 22 OECD countries over 30 years and found that implementing highly restrictive immigration policies actually led to an increase in crime rates [6]. The effect was even larger when they accounted for how countries influence each other (e.g., through cultural or geographic proximity). This suggests that harsh enforcement may backfire, possibly by pushing immigrants into the shadows or destabilizing communities.
At the neighborhood level, immigrant diversity—meaning the number of different immigrant groups and their relative sizes—does affect crime rates, but in complex ways. A 2025 study by Kubrin and Hipp examined 15,000 neighborhoods across 350 U.S. cities and found that diversity matters, but the effects vary depending on the social dimension (e.g., race, country of origin, or language) [2]. However, this does not mean diversity increases crime; it simply means the relationship is nuanced and depends on local context.
Sources used in this answer
Immigration and Crime: An International Perspective
Immigrants are often overrepresented among offenders due to demographics, but immigration does not significantly impact local crime rates in host countries.
Immigration and Crime: The Role of Immigrant Heterogeneity <sup/>
Immigrant diversity (by race, country of origin, or language) affects neighborhood crime rates in complex ways across 15,000 U.S. neighborhoods.
Four Pillars of the Immigration-Crime Myth: A Summary of U.S. Public Opinion and Research on Immigration-Crime Rhetoric
Four common political claims linking immigration to crime (increased crime, gang violence, drug problems, need for mass deportation) are myths with no consistent empirical support.
Comparing crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and native-born US citizens in Texas.
Undocumented immigrants in Texas (2012–2018) had substantially lower crime rates than native-born citizens: over 2 times less likely for violent crimes, 2.5 times less for drug crimes, and over 4 times less for property crimes.
Immigrant Types and Their Relationship with Urban Crime Rates: A Cross-country Analysis Based on Socioeconomic and Cultural Background
Across multiple countries, there is no significant statistical relationship between immigrants and urban crime rates; in some cases, the correlation is negative.
Estimating Causal Effects of Multi-Valued Treatments Accounting for Network Interference: Immigration Policies and Crime Rates
Highly restrictive immigration policies in 22 OECD countries over 30 years were associated with increased crime rates, especially when accounting for cross-country influences.