TCT-IMM-012 · Crime
“Migrant crime” was driving crime “through the roof”
Statement and context
“Crime in this country is through the roof, and we have a new form of crime. It’s called migrant crime.”
2024-09-10, ABC presidential debate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What the evidence shows
“Migrant crime” is not an FBI offense category, and national crime data do not record immigration status. Available evidence contradicts the broader wave claim: FBI violent-crime estimates were declining, while status-specific Texas research found undocumented immigrants had substantially lower felony arrest rates than U.S.-born citizens. Longitudinal peer-reviewed research likewise found undocumented immigration was generally associated with decreasing violent crime. These population findings do not erase individual crimes; they rebut the asserted nationwide immigration-driven surge.
False
Sources and attribution
Tracker research synthesis; inspect the linked evidence and research record.