Data link illegal migrants, crime
Sept. 24, 2010 12:00 AM

The failure of Tuesday's AZ Fact Check to confirm or refute the claim that 9,000 citizens are killed every year by illegal immigrants reveals how difficult it is to use available data to track the criminality of this "shadow group," beyond their undisputed criminal presence in our country ("The issue: Illegal immigrants and crime").

However, there are reliable statistics that support state Sen. Russell Pearce's claim that illegal immigrants commit far more serious crimes in Arizona than legal residents. Arizona's own Department of Corrections' statistics demonstrate that illegal immigrants are nearly twice as likely to be serious felons than are legal residents.

Using the often-quoted Pew Research Center estimate of 500,000 illegal immigrants residing in Arizona, they make up about 7.6 percent of the population. However, illegal immigrants make up 14.7 percent of Arizona's prison population, with none being incarcerated merely for their immigration status. Thus, illegal immigrants commit much more serious crime than legal residents.

In addition, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the decrease in crime in Arizona between 2008 and 2009 happened to coincided with the concurrent exodus of illegal immigrants out of Arizona due to increased state enforcement actions against them and the collapse of the job market. - John Kavanagh,Fountain Hills
The writer, a Republican, represents District 8 in the state House of Representatives.

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