Immigrant “Killers and Criminal Gangs?”: Public Perception on Immigration, Crime, and Gangs

• In Event: Public Opinion of Justice-Involved People: Results from National Survey Experiments

Abstract

For decades, politicians and the media have claimed that immigration contributes to crime, violence, gang activity, and related social problems. In contrast, research shows that immigration actually stabilizes neighborhoods by fostering social and economic institutions, which can help protect these areas from crime and violence. However, the impact of recent harsh political rhetoric on public perceptions of immigration remains largely unexplored. Few studies have investigated how the public views immigration in relation to crime, and even fewer have focused specifically on perceptions of immigration ties to gang and drug activity. This study seeks to fill those gaps by exploring public perceptions of immigration and crime broadly, while also analyzing attitudes toward immigration, gang violence, drug activity, and economics factors. Using a Lucid survey, the goal is to provide a detailed understanding of public sentiment during a time when political and academic discussions on immigration are often at odds.

Authors

• Calvin Proffit, University of Cincinnati

• Ben Feldmeyer, University of Cincinnati