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Democracy

The gap in crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and U.S. natives is huge

New study suggests we need to rethink our attitudes on immigration.

via David Tan/Flickr

A man being arrested by the police.

Immigration was one of the biggest issues in the 2024 presidential election, and it helped propel Donald Trump to his second presidential term. Last year saw a significant shift in public opinion on immigration, with 55% of Americans believing that immigration levels should be decreased, the highest number in nearly 20 years.

One of the biggest reasons that people fear immigrants, both legal and undocumented, is that they believe they commit a disproportionate number of crimes and pose a danger to natural-born citizens. Polls show that 47% of Americans believe that immigrants increase crime in the United States.

It’s no surprise that many feel this way, given the increasingly polarized political rhetoric surrounding immigrants. Over the past decade, prominent politicians have referred to immigrants as “invaders,” “animals,” and “rapists,” who shouldn't come to America. Some have even suggested that they are being allowed in the country to “replace” white Americans.

immigration, crime, arrests, ICE, undocumented people, immigration lawA man being arrested by ICE.via ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations/Flickr

In addition to the abrasive rhetoric, a lot of Americans have also developed negative attitudes towards immigration because they fear foreign-born people will change the culture and could pose a threat to their employment. A majority of Americans have also been alarmed by years of chaos at the southern border.

Immigration is a complex issue that evokes strong emotions, so we must distinguish fact from rhetoric to craft humane policies that support a system where immigrants and native-born Americans thrive together. That’s why a recent report from the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning public policy research organization, is so important. The report shows that the fear-mongering over immigrant crime is unfounded and that native-born Americans pose a much greater threat to their safety.

Do immigrants commit more crime?

The study, conducted by Michelangelo Landgrave and Alex Nowrasteh, utilized American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the US Census data from 2010 to 2023 to determine the crime rate per capita among undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and natural-born Americans. They found that undocumented people are incarcerated at about half the rate, per capita, than native-born Americans and that legal immigrants commit crimes at about half the rate of undocumented immigrants.

Here’s the Cato Institute's findings:

An estimated 1,617,197 native-born Americans, 67,813 illegal immigrants, and 58,515 legal immigrants were incarcerated in 2023. The incarceration rate for native-born Americans was 1,221 per 100,000; 613 per 100,000 for illegal immigrants; and 319 per 100,000 for legal immigrants in 2022 (Figure 1). Illegal immigrants are half as likely to be incarcerated as native-born Americans. Legal immigrants are 74 percent less likely to be incarcerated than natives. If native-born Americans were incarcerated at the same rate as illegal immigrants, about 806,000 fewer natives would be incarcerated. Conversely, if natives were incarcerated at the same rate as legal immigrants, about 1.2 million fewer native-born Americans would be incarcerated.


Further, the report shows that if you removed the people in ICE detention facilities on any given day, the undocumented crime rate would fall to 357 per 100,000 people, only 12% higher than that of legal immigrants.

Nowrasteh speculates that there are multiple reasons why undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than natural-born citizens. He suggests that they are more future-oriented because they faced huge risks in coming to the U.S. They also fear the consequences of committing crimes, including deportation, and often have stronger social bonds that discourage them from breaking the law.

The interesting change over the first 100 days of the new administration is that even though people were very concerned about the state of immigration, they are now turning against its aggressive and legally questionable deportation strategies. This points to a unique balance among Americans that shows they are concerned about immigration but also care for immigrants who are unfairly targeted by the system. Hopefully, Americans’ concern for immigrants’ welfare will be matched by a clearer understanding of the actual safety risks they pose, paving the way for policies that benefit everyone.

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Democracy

Jon Stewart perfectly shuts down  immigrant fearmongering in brilliant new video

He called out Democrats and Republicans alike.

The Office of Kirsten Gilibrand/ Wikimedia Commons and Dr. Phil/Wikimedia Commons

Jon Stewart talks about the border crisis; Dr. Phil.

Jon Stewart is known for using humor to skewer politicians on both sides of the aisle, cleverly exposing their more ridiculous claims and inconsistencies with deft satire and mock incredulity. To the delight of The Daily Show viewers, he’s returned to the program after nine long years where he’ll sit in the hosting chair on Mondays throughout this year’s presidential election cycle.

This week, he fixed his gimlet eye on the migrant crisis at the border. He had plenty of criticism to go around and he even managed to zing Dr. Phil.

In a clip that’s now gone viral, titled, “Stewart Unpacks the GOP's ‘Migrant Crime’ Narrative,” the host makes the case that Republicans are using the crisis for political gain while Democrats are turning their backs on their core values.

After showing a series of alarmist clips (“Illegal invaders invading America!” warns one Fox News host), Stewart says, “Every two to four years, we are reminded we have a Southern border. And it is porous.”

More clips play, ratcheting up the levels of fear over the types of people who might be flowing through the border.

“Criminals, rapists, murderers, predators and God knows who else,” we see Marjorie Taylor Greene proclaim. “God knows who else? Statistically, a couple of them at least have to be podcasters,” Stewart quips.

Stewart goes on to show commentators and politicians discussing the countries where the people crossing the border are coming from, including Dr. Phil on "The Joe Rogan Experience," talking about all the fit, military-age men from China coming through the border.

“While it’s clear hyperbole,” says Stewart, after showing a clip where Donald Trump says Hannibal Lecter is one of the people crossing the border, “there does seem to be bipartisan agreement now that the border is a problem. There were 300,000 crossings in December alone. That’s an all-time high, and that is not sustainable.

“But Republicans turned down the chance to pass a strong border bill because of how confident they are that fearmongering will be an effective election-year strategy. It’s really all about branding,” Stewart said.

Trump again: “I call it Biden migrant crime, but it’s too long… Let’s call it Bigrant… Oh that’s good. That’s smart, Bigrant crime.”

​“I’m not completely sold on Bigrant,” Stewart joked, stifling a laugh. It really just sounds like a migrant who’s open to crossing either border." Stewart then turned his attention to what he calls “a good old-fashioned border off,” where Trump and Biden both went to the Texas-Mexico border last week. Trump went to Eagle Pass, and Biden to Brownsville.

Biden suggests he and Trump should get together to pass a bipartisan border bill which Trump declines.

“When it comes to immigration, the Democrats hold to our country's cherished ideals, the eternal promise etched at the feet of lady liberty that speaks to our better angels," Stewart said. This is followed by a montage of clips showing politicians, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, speaking warmly about how our country is stronger because of immigrants.

“Unshakable bedrock American values of compassion and empathy and there is not a damn thing you can do to change that,” said Stewart. "And then busloads of migrants from Texas, seeking asylum in New York.“

Nice try, Texas, but you heard the mayor," Stewart continued. "We’re New York [bleeping] City!… You are never going to change our values because you’re afraid. So keep sending those busloads because we got plenty of room in our hearts and in this city.”

Adams again: “We have no more room in the city.”

Stewart stared at the camera in disbelief. “What about the yearnings and the tiredness and the tiredness of those who are doing the yearnings?”

Stewart then shows clips of Adams talking about the effect of 110,000 migrants coming to New York City. “This issue will destroy New York City,” he says.

“Yes, it turns out in the age old battle between values and fear, values never had a [bleeping] chance.


“So this is the terrible cycle America is caught in. Democrats whose high-minded values and principles did not survive a contact high with reality and Republicans whose desire to solve the problem isn’t nearly as strong as their desire to exploit it," Stewart concluded.

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Joy

The Bidens share how Joe’s persistence and Jill’s leap of faith created a 48-year marriage

Joe asked Jill to marry him 5 times before she agreed.

via Meet Cute NYC/TikTok

President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden share how they fell in love.

The creators of Meet Cute NYC took a 230-mile detour down south and stopped by Washington, DC. to get the story of how the President and First Lady met for a special Valentine’s Day post. The result was a lesson in the critical role that persistence can play in bringing people together.

Meet Cute NYC documents “microportraits of modern love” and features its host, Jeremy Bernstein, asking random people the all-important question: “Excuse me, are you two a couple?”

The video opens with Mr. Biden revealing how he met Jill in 1975 after being set up by his brother. The president lost his wife, Neilia, and 1-year-old daughter, Naomi, in a car crash in 1972, leaving him the single father of 2 boys.

"He called me and said, ‘I go to school with this woman. You will love her, she is beautiful, and she doesn't like politics,'" Mr. Biden said. The First Lady added, ''He called me on a Saturday afternoon, and he said, ‘You know this is Joe Biden, and I said, ‘How did you get my number?’ He said, ‘Would you like to go out tonight?’ I said, ‘I am sorry, I already have a date,’ and he said, ‘Well, would you break it? I am only in for one night.’ So I said ‘Well, call me back in two hours and I will see what I can do.’''

The president asked Dr. Biden to marry him 5 times before she finally agreed. She was rightfully concerned about the responsibility that comes with marrying a widower with 2 children.

''You have to remember, I mean, it wasn't just my heart that was on the line, with Beau and Hunter, I knew that if we were gonna get married, it had to be forever because they had already lost their mother and sister in a car accident and I knew that they couldn't lose someone else in their life. So here we are, it is forever, it is 48 years later,'' Jill Biden said.

The couple was married on wed on June 17, 1977. On January 20, 2021, they became President and First Lady of the United States.

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Pop Culture

Jon Stewart returns to the 'Daily show' and doesn't miss a beat

In his first episode back as host, Stewart didn't mince words listing off the ways Biden and Trump were "similarly challenged."

Montclair Film Festival/Wikipedia, Paramount/Wikipedia

Jon Stewart returns as host of "The Daily Show"

After a nine year hiatus, Jon Stewart has returned as host of “The Daily Show.” And it’s a comeback so seamless, it’s as though he never truly left.

The GOAT of late night satire has a reputation for pointed humor, informed commentary and genuine enthusiasm for the topics he covers (not to mention his relentless interviewing skills) and Monday’s show had all these elements we’ve come to expect.

Wasting no time, Stewart dove right into one of his brutal but balanced assessments—this one of both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

He didn’t mince words about Biden’s recent press conference gaffs and head-scratching TikToks, which he noted were huge missteps for dispelling fears about how the Biden's age is affecting his cognition. It’s a subject many liberals feel hesitant to acknowledge—but not Stewart.

“Fire everyone. Everyone!” he quipped. “How do you go on TikTok and end up looking older?”

Of course, he spared no punches with Trump’s age or mental faculties, referencing the former president's bizarre warnings of Pennsylvania name begin changed should Republicans lose the race, saying “Biden’s lost a step, but Trump regularly says things at rallies that would warrant a wellness check.”

He then showed clips of Trump and his family being deposed and, similar to Biden, not being able to recall rather basic facts, dropping this wise-crack: “It turns out that the leading cause of early onset dementia is being deposed.”

Of course, with Stewart it’s never just jokes. Getting more serious, he noted how both candidates might be “similarly challenged,” and how in both instances, voters and outside allies are the ones expected to “silence concerns and criticisms”, when in reality “it is the candidates’ job to assuage concerns, not the voters’ job not to mention [them].”

And even though Stewart has far more criticisms of Trump, he succinctly noted why this particular threat to democracy calls for either a better plan, or a stronger candidate.

“Look, Joe Biden isn’t Donald Trump,” he said. “He hasn’t been indicted as many times, hasn’t had as many fraudulent businesses or been convicted in a civil trial for sexual assault or been ordered to pay defamation charges or stiffed blue collar tradesman….. The stakes of this election don’t make Donald Trump’s opponent less subject to scrutiny. It actually makes him more subject to scrutiny. If the barbarians are at the gate, you want Conan [the Barbarian] standing on the ramparts, not chocolate chip cookie guy.”

This is all followed up by “on the plus side, I’m told at some point the sun will run out of hydrogen.” Jon Stewart at his finest.

Naturally, fans were thrilled to see Stewart back in action. Here’s what some had to say:

“THIS is how you return to a show. Utterly seamless.”

“John has so much personality that just cannot be replicated. This is amazing to have him back.”

“Welcome back ! The world needs you now, more than ever! Thank you for your courage.”

“This man's comedic timing is even better than before, and I sure did miss his sharp wit. I'm hoping I can find his full episodes somewhere where I don't have to pay. I pay enough for cable and internet as it is. WELCOME BACK JON!”

“All hail the king! JON STEWART IS BACK!”

Stewart will continue hosting the Monday night slot on Comedy Central's “The Daily Show” throughout the 2024 presidential election cycle. More gems to come.

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