Donald Trump’s rhetoric about illegal immigrants in the United States, blaming them for violent crimes, resurrects the discourse used in his previous presidential campaign. However, according to a Reuters report, which brings together several recent scientific studies already published, the data shows that immigrants are not more likely to be involved in criminal activities.

Trump emphasizes crimes committed by illegal immigrants as a justification for stricter border control policies, labeling these crimes as “Bide’s migrant crimes”. His dehumanizing language, such as calling illegal immigrants "animals," has drawn criticism for his xenophobia and echoes past rhetoric, including Nazi rhetoric.

According to Reuters, “the Republican National Committee earlier this month launched a website called ‘Biden Bloodbath’ that highlights anecdotal incidents involving migrants in eight U.S. states, including electoral battlegrounds such as Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania”.

Biden’s response to this narrative included references to the recent victim of a crime, expressing regret for having used the term “illegal” to describe the perpetrator, preferring to use “undocumented”. Biden’s team and its allies reject generalizing culpability about all migrants based on the actions of a few.

Academic studies and data analysis consistently show that immigrants, including undocumented and illegal immigrants, do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born U.S. citizens. These conclusions are based on a series of surveys spanning decades and different data sources, including the U.S. Census and prison records.

While some research groups suggest that illegal immigrants have a greater tendency to commit crimes, many of these analyses are disputed by experts who question the accuracy of the data and the methodology used. The availability and reliability of data varies from state to state, which can affect the conclusions of studies.

“Michael Light, the University of Wisconsin-Madison professor, said U.S. research overall does not indicate immigrants are more likely to commit crimes. ‘Of course foreign-born individuals have committed crimes’, Light said in an interview. ‘’But do foreign-born individuals commit crime at a disproportionately higher rate than native-born individuals? The answer is pretty conclusively no’.”, according to Reurtes.

Ultimately, the discussion about immigration and crime in the United States is complex and gives rise to heated political debates. However, solid evidence shows that immigrants are not a disproportionate source of violent crime, challenging the biased narrative of some politicians.