Immigration has always been at the forefront of Americans’ minds since the beginning of the country, switching from Europeans, to Asians, and now Hispanics. In more recent years however, and particularly since 2016, the rhetoric around hispanic migrants has escalated to unprecedented levels. Talks of widespread rape, theft, and murders being done by Hispanic migrants have all been classified as “migrant crime,” a phrase that former President Donald Trump started. Whether it’s at his rallies or debates, former President Donald Trump has claimed that anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of Americans are being killed by migrants coming from South America. His claims are categorically false, which is reflective of the conversation as a whole on immigration in America. 

The Shift

In 2016 and 2020 liberals tended to push back against these claims, calling them what they are: xenophobic and white supremacist. However Joe Biden, and now Kamala Harris, have embraced this rhetoric. Not to the same extent but, pushing a border bill that doesn’t address any of the reasons as to why America has a “migrant crisis’ ‘, and most of all embraces ideas that Donald Trump and other extremist republicans have endorsed, ain’t exactly pushing back. This shift is not just in policy however, it has also shifted rhetoric for democrats broadly. In Joe Biden’s address to congress he surprised the broader American electorate by holding a pin given to him by House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (a right wing extremist), showing the name of a woman, Laken Riley, who was killed by a illegal migrant whilst shouting “illegals” as if it was a slur (which in some respects it has become). Biden also blindsided many Americans during the first presidential debate, where, seemingly out of nowhere, he brought this incident up in response to an unrelated question. 

This shift not only falsely insinuates that illegal migrants are causing massive death and destruction , it also legitimized the Republican positions of xenophobia and white supremacy. After all, it was the Republicans who brought up the issue of the border first. So why not vote for them if Democrats are now saying that they were right all along? This shift is consequential not only on moral grounds, but political ones as well.

“Migrant Killings”

The claims that Republicans like to make, and that Democrats have now legitimized, about “migrant crime” being out of control are categorically false. When it comes to “tens of thousands” or “hundreds of thousands of murders” according to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, in 2024 so far only 23 undocumented migrants have committed Homicide or Manslaughter. When looking at past years, there were a total of 21,156 reported homicide cases in the U.S. in 2022, 62 of whom were committed by undocumented migrants. This shows that the massive hysteria around tens of thousands of Americans being killed is false. 

“Migrant Drugs”

Another false notion that has been embraced by both republicans and democrats alike is in regards to drug trafficking. A common argument made is that illegal migrants from South America bring in mass amounts of Fentanyl, Cocaine, Heroin, and other narcotics. This argument is also false, and as a matter of fact, the truth is completely contrary to the broader American consensus. Most Fentanyl enters the U.S. from the southern border, there is no denying that. However, this does not mean that illegal migrants are the cause of the problem, as a matter of fact it’s quite the opposite. 

Drug smugglers commonly referred to as “Mules”, recently have been portrayed in the mainstream media as illegal migrants from South America. This is also another statistical falsehood. United States citizens comprised 86% of Fentanyl trafficking convictions in 2021. And as a matter of fact just 0.02% of people arrested for illegally crossing the border possessed Fentanyl. Logically, this makes sense. Drug distributors tactically put Fentanyl in the hands of Americans, who are much less likely to get stopped and checked by ICE and Border Patrol compared to noncitizens.

The rise in Fentanyl deaths being attributed to purely migrants is also a falsehood; Fentanyl deaths have been on the rise for a decade. Ironically, deaths exploded under the Trump Administration, increasing by 191% compared to the 25% increase under the Biden administration. Nevertheless, although Trump’s policies and actions played a role in the spike, fentanyl deaths without major government intervention are going to go up, regardless of administration. 

If migrants aren’t the ones transporting the drugs then they at least have to be the ones responsible for them right? Again, false. Research and investigation have shown that China is actually responsible for the Fentanyl crisis the U.S. is experiencing. According to the U.S. Customs and Border patrol, chemicals and tools to make drugs such as Fentanyl are coming into the U.S. from locations such as East Asia and more specifically China, through legitimate means, ie: cargo on airplanes, ships, and express couriers. It is then that those items go to Mexico, where the products are finished and smuggled across to the U.S. 

“Migrant Crime”, Generally

Putting aside killings and drugs, both of which tend to comprise 90% of the conversation around migrant crime, how do migrant crimes generally stack up against those of native-born Americans? The answer: it’s not even close. Illegal immigrants are less likely to commit crime across the board compared to natural born U.S citizens. According to in depth research conducted by Stanford since the 1960s, immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than native U.S. born people. According to the Cato institute’s research in Texas, it was found that illegal immigrants were 37.1% less likely to be charged with a crime. And according to an investigation conducted by The New York Times, between 2007 and 2016, there was no link between illegal immigration and a rise in crime in their respective groups and communities. 

Democrat Loss, Republican Win

Illegal immigration is a problem in America, but not in the way that Democrats or Republicans think. As stated in The Shift, Democrats have shifted their rhetoric around immigration to match the right. The political calculation that democrats have seemingly taken is that they can win moderates over in elections if they simply take the position that republicans have been galvanizing Americans on. This calculation at face value, could make sense but neglects one simple fact: you can never outflank racists on racism. If democrats capitulate to (false and racist) republican positions two things occur. 1: republicans get the validation of being right all along and can appeal to voters by saying “we were right first”. And 2: large constituencies of the democratic party, specifically young and latino voters both feel alienated from the democratic party. Both of these reasons allow republicans to control the narrative, and therefore win elections even when they themselves are extremely unpopular, and their policies even more unpopular. 

So, “Migrant Crime?”

In summary, “migrant crime” is a myth. That has been unequivocally proven. But where do we go from here? When looking at American history, immigration tends to be one issue where good doesn’t prevail. Whether that’s Operation Wetback, or the internment camps that Asian people were forced into during the second World War, immigration has been a issue that has bought out the worst in Americans. Trump’s recent praises of Operation Wetback (the mass deportation of “illegal Hispanic migrants” that also led to tens of thousands of legal Hispanic Americans being deported as well) spells it out: America is heading backwards in terms of immigration. Democrats’ capitulation on the issue in not calling out Republicans’ rhetoric spells that out exactly. America isn’t a nation of immigrants, America is immigrants. And to deny that reality, is to deny our heritage.