Vol 6, No 1 (2018)
Immigrants and Crime: The Relationship between Foreign-born Populations and Criminal Activity at the State Level
Mark Gius
Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between immigration and criminal activity. The present study uses annual, state-level data on foreign-born populations and a fixed effects model. Most prior studies on this topic used city-level data. Results suggest that foreign-born populations have no significant effects on most state-level crime rates. States with higher percentages of foreign-born populations have statistically similar crime rates to those states with lower percentages of foreign-born populations. There is, however, a significant and negative relationship between rape and foreign-born populations. States with higher percentages of foreign-born populations have lower reported rates of rape. These results are noteworthy because they suggest that the percentage of the state population that is foreign born does not result in more criminal activity at the state-level.
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Keywords
Foreign born; Crime; State level.
Publication information
Volume 6, Issue 1
Year of Publication: 2018
ISSN: 1857 - 8721
Publisher: EDNOTERA
How to cite
Gius M.: Immigrants and Crime: The Relationship between Foreign-born Populations and Criminal Activity at the State Level. Journal of Applied Economics and Business, Vol 6, No. 1, 5-20. (2018)