(The good folks in Kansas should demand that this paper remove the eagle from their logo. Perhaps a Mexican hat would be more appropriate.)

Immigrants aren't causing crime wave

Fact: There is no violent crime wave in America caused by illegal immigrants. Keep that in mind the next time you read sensationalized news stories of illegals involved in horrific crimes, such as the recent execution-style slayings of three students in New Jersey, allegedly by an illegal immigrant from Peru.

Shocking, yes -- but in the immigrant population, such stories are the exception, not the rule, according to a 2007 study by the Immigration Policy Center.

Contrary to popular myth and stereotypes, the vast majority of undocumented aliens are here to work, not commit crimes, according to the study. In fact, illegal immigrants are far less likely to commit serious crimes than legal citizens of any ethnicity.

Consider:

• Although the undocumented population has doubled since 1994, to an estimated 12 million, violent crime during that period fell 34 percent and property crimes decreased 26 percent.

• The majority of illegals here are Mexican nationals between the ages of 18 and 39, with little formal education -- a demographic you'd expect to drive a high crime rate. But native-born males in that age group were incarcerated at rates five times greater than foreign-born men, the study found.

Partly that's because Hispanic males who are in the United States illegally are a highly motivated group who are here to work and stay out of trouble.

An article in Tuesday's Eagle noted that one-fourth of inmates in federal prisons are illegal immigrants. But almost half of those offenders are in jail for immigration (a federal crime) or drug violations, not violent or property crimes.

In fact, increased immigration, whether legal or illegal, arguably is driving down crime rates in America, according to the study's authors.

Several studies of immigrant populations in the early 20th century reached similar conclusions. As the Dillingham Commission reported in 1911, "immigrants are less prone to commit crime than are native Americans."

That's why, instead of acting as immigration agents, it's more important for police to gain the trust of members of the Hispanic community so they'll come forward when real crimes are committed in their neighborhoods.

That's been the approach of the Wichita Police Department and many other urban police forces. Local police must put their limited resources where they will do the most good. And immigration enforcement is a federal issue.

Granted, there are some serious career criminals in the illegal population -- and when found, they should be deported, not set loose to reoffend. There can be no "sanctuary" for hard-core criminals.

Just beware of emotional arguments equating immigrants and crime.

There are many problems caused by illegal immigration. A crime wave isn't one of them.

For the editorial board, Randy Scholfield

http://www.kansas.com/611/story/165745.html

If Randy actually made an effort to search the daily news, he would find out how wrong he is. Not to mention, more often than not the immigration status is unknown to police, judges, jailers, newspaper reporters etc. What's more, open border lobbyists don't want us to know.