Crime and Victimization on the US-Mexico Border: A Comparison of Legal Residents, Illegal Residents and Native-Born Citizens

By  Jennifer Eno Louden

The project is comprised of two studies that together sought to compare criminal histories and victimization experiences for immigrants compared to U.S.-born citizens in the U.S.-Mexico border region. The study found that immigrants had less extensive criminal records than U.S.-born citizens and that undocumented immigrants were less likely to have past violent offenses or property offenses compared to U.S.-born citizens and documented immigrants. Study 1 involved analysis of secondary data, whereas Study 2 involved interviews with inmates in a jail. In Study 1, which examined booking data for more than 5,000 people booked into El Paso County jails, the researchers found that immigrants, especially those who came from Mexico, had less extensive criminal histories than U.S.-born citizens. In Study 2, the researchers examined criminal risk and immigration status for 273 individuals booked into El Paso County jails and found that undocumented immigrants were less likely to have past violent offenses or property offenses compared to U.S.-born citizens and documented immigrants. In addition, documented immigrants were more likely to have past DUI offenses than U.S.-born citizens or undocumented immigrants. Researchers found similar levels of past victimization across the citizens and immigrants, though the researchers note that there likely was under-reporting of these experiences.