President Trump constantly claims that Mexicans are coming to the U.S. bringing drugs and crime, when that is simply not the case.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Donald Trump, presidential announcement speech, June 16, 2015
Immediately from the start of his campaigning, Trump made statements claiming that Mexican immigrants are bringing drugs and crime. Many of his supporters didn’t even question him. But, there are no facts to support these statements, and the data that exists on crime when compared with illegal immigration actually make his statements look beyond incorrect.
The trend has been: as immigration increases, crime decreases. Below, the two charts show the increase in immigration as well as the simultaneous decrease in violent crime spanning from 1990 to 2012/13.
As you can see, as the rate of immigration increased, violent crime decreased.
“What can be simpler or more accurately stated? The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.”
Donald Trump, statement about his June 16 comments, July 6, 2015
Based on the above quote, Trump states: “in many cases”. In many cases? That is clearly an assumption that can only possibly stem from his xenophobic beliefs and discrimination towards Latinx communities.
He has no proof, no facts, therefore his statements are opinion oriented. Plus, all of the research that you will find online will show you that there is absolutely no correlation between the rising number of illegal immigrants and crime.
In fact, data shows that native-born Americans actually have a higher incarceration rate. In the chart below, the U.S. incarceration rates are compared between Native-born, Mexican, and Salvadoran/Guatemalan men aged 18 through 39 without a high school diploma in the years 2000 and 2010.
The percentages shown in the chart above clearly show that the incarceration rate of Native-born men are substantially higher than that of Mexican men. Trump is wrong, and unfortunately because of his public platform, many people have heard his lies, and many believe them. He has twisted the perception of the Latinx community into something that is false.
So, you may ask: if Mexican immigrants aren’t bringing drugs and crime, then why are they coming to the U.S.?
They come to the U.S. in search of a better life. They are displeased with the crime, drugs and political corruption in their home country and want a better life for them and their families. They are coming here to work, and most of them are very hard-working… even more so than many native-born Americans.
Many of them also work very hard for less-than-average wages. As America, the “land of the free”, we need to be focusing on how to give the Latinx community better opportunities, not spreading lies about the intentions of Mexican immigrants.
They aren’t bringing drugs, and they aren’t the violent criminals that the President wants them to be seen as. They are simply human beings in search of a better life and situation for their families.
Wake Them Up 