Trumped Up Charges: Empirical Effects of U.S. Immigration Reform on Crime and Jobs

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
Wharton Public Policy Initiative Issue Briefs
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
immigration
reform
undocumented
crime
jobs
employment
IRCA
287(g)
Immigration and Reform Act of 1986
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Labor Economics
Public Policy
Funder
Grant number
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
The Immigration ‘Boogeyman’: Separating Fact from Fiction (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-immigration-boogeyman-separating-fact-from-fiction/)
Trumped Up Charges: Empirical Effects of U.S. Immigration Reform on Crime and Jobs (http://publicpolicy.wharton.upenn.edu/briefs-papers/issue-brief/v3n6)
Author
Owens, Emily
Freedman, Matthew
Bohn, Sarah
Contributor
Abstract

This brief examines the effects, both intended and unintended, of two previous efforts to deter and regulate unauthorized immigration. Recent research shows that the Immigration and Reform Act of 1986, by cutting off access to legal employment for undocumented immigrants, actually increases the probability that some people who are not in the country legally will engage in crime. And despite heightened efforts to police and deport undocumented immigrants in accordance with Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, studies indicate that any resultant decreases in immigrant populations did nothing to improve employment opportunities for low-skilled native residents. While past research reveals some of the limitations and unintended negative impacts of laws aimed at making the U.S. less attractive to unauthorized immigrants, less is known about the potential positive impacts of laws aimed at inclusion. Such knowledge could help to enlighten future debates over comprehensive reform.

Advisor
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2015-08-01
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
Recommended citation
Collection