Key Findings
- There was no meaningful data indicating that sanctuary policies impacted shifts in homicide rates.
- There was no evidence that the percentage of unauthorized or authorized immigrant population at the city level impacted shifts in the homicide rates.
- Homicide was found to be correlated to the residential instability in a neighborhood, where for each unit increase in population movement (past two years), there was a six percent increase in the homicide rate.
- In disadvantaged areas, a one unit increase in population movement was connected to a 19 percent increase in the homicide rate.
- In sanctuary cities, each unit increase in the immigrant population was connected to a half percent decrease in the homicide rate.
- In sanctuary cities, each unit increase in the unauthorized immigrant population was connected to a five percent decrease in the homicide rate.
- There was no evidence that immigration is connected to robbery at the city-level.
Description
In the article, “Sanctuary Policies and City-Level Incidents of Violence, 1990 to 2010,” Ricardo D. Martínez-Schuldt & Daniel E. Martínez examine crime by unauthorized immigrants in cities with sanctuary policies. To conduct their study, the researchers analyzed crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1990 to 2010, which included state-level data in the United States, as well as data on sanctuary cities from the National Immigration Law Center and American Community Survey. The results showed that there was no meaningful data indicating that sanctuary policies impacted shifts in homicide rates. Additionally, there was no evidence that the percentage of unauthorized or authorized immigrant population at the city level impacted shifts in the homicide rates. Homicide was found to be correlated to the residential instability in a neighborhood, where for each unit increase in population movement (past two years), there was a six percent increase in the homicide rate. In disadvantaged areas, a one unit increase in population movement was connected to a 19 percent increase in the homicide rate. In sanctuary cities, each unit increase in the immigrant population was connected to a half percent decrease in the homicide rate. In sanctuary cities, each unit increase in the unauthorized immigrant population was connected to a five percent decrease in the homicide rate. Additionally, the researchers found no evidence that immigration is connected to robbery at the city-level. In conclusion, the authors acknowledge that further research is needed to compare sanctuary cities with non-sanctuary cities for a deeper understanding and search for additional data sources for the full picture.