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On Thursday, US President Donald Trump launched a sweeping attack on immigrants, blaming them for crime, economic hardship and “social dysfunction” in the United States. He painted migrants from “third world countries” as “illegal and disruptive populations” and vowed to halt migration to allow the “US system to fully recover”.
The statement came after a deadly shooting in Washington, DC, in which a 29-year-old Afghan national who had assisted the US military in Afghanistan injured and killed National Guard personnel.
Trump’s rhetoric has heightened concerns over a potential escalation in US immigration crackdowns, with his administration hinting at reviews of asylum claims and green cards for select nationalities, drawing sharp criticism from civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers.
Crime and immigration data dispute Trump’s claims
Despite Trump’s assertions, extensive research shows that immigrants commit far fewer crimes than native-born Americans. Economists have found that immigrants are about 60% less likely to be incarcerated, a trend consistent over the past 150 years. From 1980 to 2022, the immigrant share of the US population more than doubled from 6.2% to 13.9%, while overall crime fell 60.4%, including a 34.5% decrease in violent crime and a 63.3% drop in property crime, according to the American Immigration Council (AIC).
This evidence directly contradicts Trump’s assertion that immigrants are a primary driver of crime in the US. “The data clearly show that rising immigration has coincided with falling crime rates, demonstrating the positive social impact of migrants,” an AIC analyst told The Guardian. Despite this, Trump continues to single out minority and refugee communities, often using selective anecdotes to generalise criminality across entire populations.
Immigrants’ economic contribution
Trump claimed migrants are a drain on US taxpayers, asserting a family earning $30,000 would receive $50,000 in government benefits. In reality, immigrants contribute significantly to the economy. In 2023, undocumented immigrant households paid $89.8 billion in federal, state and local taxes and held $299 billion in spending power, according to reports.
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View AllMost immigrant families are not reliant on state support for housing; they contributed over $167 billion in rent and held more than $6.6 trillion in housing wealth.
Economists argue that immigrant labour supports essential industries, fills labour shortages, and helps drive innovation. A report by the Center for American Progress highlights that restrictive immigration policies could slow GDP growth, reduce entrepreneurship, and undermine America’s global competitiveness. These economic contributions challenge Trump’s narrative of immigrants as a fiscal burden, showing instead that they play a critical role in sustaining the American economy.
Targeting specific communities fuels racialised fear
Trump’s post singled out Somali refugees in Minnesota, claiming they were “taking over the once-great state” and describing roving gangs seeking “prey.” He also made offensive remarks about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Minnesota hosts the largest Somali refugee community in the US, largely resettled from famine and civil war. Such rhetoric coincides with the Justice Department labelling Minnesota a “sanctuary jurisdiction”.
Such statements not only misrepresent crime rates but also stoke racialised fear and social division. Research from the Cato Institute shows that 73% of people detained by ICE have no convictions, nearly half have no pending charges, and only 5% have a violent criminal record. These facts highlight that immigration enforcement often targets non-criminal populations, contradicting Trump’s narrative of migrants as inherently dangerous.
Immigration’s positive societal impact
Beyond crime and economics, immigrants bring cultural diversity, skills, and resilience to American society. Studies indicate that children of immigrants achieve higher educational outcomes and contribute to innovation and entrepreneurship. Trump’s sweeping claims of “social dysfunction” fail to account for the positive societal effects of migration, mischaracterizing communities that have long contributed to American development.
Even in the wake of security incidents, Trump’s statements lack factual support and may influence public opinion and policymaking, intensifying the focus on immigration while ignoring data demonstrating migrants’ positive role in public safety and economic growth. Experts warn that policies based on fear and misinformation risk undermining public trust, economic growth, and international credibility, highlighting the need for evidence-based immigration discourse.