Abstract:
The media, public policy, and popular opinion are consistently driven by the perception that immigration increases crime. Despite this, most empirical research has found that immigrants have lower crime rates than the native born. The research, however, is still characterized by notable gaps. The has been minimal research into the theories political scientists have used to explain the alleged relationship between immigration and crime. This thesis examines the scholarly usage of these theories in the United States. In the first section, this thesis surveys the dominant theories over the last one-hundred years. The second piece analyzes the use and misuse of data in scholarly articles that have led to the popularity of inaccurate theories. Finally, this paper investigates the influence that theories have had on contemporary political discourse on immigration. It is concluded that, despite their policy implications and use in political discourse, theories have not been adequately valued, and have therefore suffered from inadequate empirical support and warrant further studies.