Fact check: What are the crime rates of illegal immigrants compared to US-born citizens in 2024?

1. Summary of the results

The overwhelming consensus from research and data analysis shows that illegal immigrants commit crimes at significantly lower rates than US-born citizens. Multiple sources consistently support this finding:

• Stanford University and the CATO Institute research found that immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born people, and undocumented immigrants specifically are 37.1% less likely to be convicted of a crime ^[1]
• A robust body of research spanning from 1980 to 2022 demonstrates that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens ^[2]
• Research indicates that immigration can actually lower criminal activity in communities with inclusive policies ^[3]
• FBI crime statistics for 2024 show a decrease in violent crime overall, though they don't specifically break down rates by immigration status ^[4]

The data consistently refutes claims of higher crime rates among undocumented immigrants, with some sources noting that welcoming immigrants into American communities can actually strengthen public safety ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are absent from the available analyses:

• Specific 2024 data comparing crime rates between illegal immigrants and US-born citizens is limited. While ICE provides arrest data for criminal aliens in fiscal year 2024, this doesn't establish comparative crime rates ^[6]
• Political motivations behind promoting narratives of immigrant criminality are not addressed. Politicians and media figures who benefit from anti-immigration sentiment would gain from promoting the opposite narrative, regardless of data
• Methodological considerations in crime statistics, such as reporting rates, detection bias, and how undocumented status affects interaction with law enforcement, are not thoroughly explored
• Regional variations and specific types of crimes may show different patterns that aren't captured in broad statistical comparisons

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself appears neutral, simply asking for comparative crime rate data. However, the framing could reflect underlying assumptions:

• The question may implicitly assume that illegal immigrants have higher crime rates, which contradicts the established research showing the opposite ^{[2] [1] [3]}
• Anti-immigration political rhetoric often promotes unfounded claims about immigrant criminality that are not supported by data, as noted by criminology experts who state there is no evidence to support claims that immigrants are bringing more crime to the U.S. ^[7]
• The focus specifically on "illegal immigrants" rather than immigrants broadly may reflect political framing designed to create negative associations, despite research showing that immigration is not linked to higher levels of crime and may even result in lower rates of incarceration than U.S.-born citizens ^[8]

The question, while seemingly straightforward, occurs within a context where debunking the myth of immigrant crime has become necessary due to persistent misinformation campaigns ^[8].