Georgetown University LogoGeorgetown University Library LogoDigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Georgetown University Institutional Repository
    • McCourt School of Public Policy
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations - Public Policy
    • View Item
    •   DigitalGeorgetown Home
    • Georgetown University Institutional Repository
    • McCourt School of Public Policy
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations - Public Policy
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    The Relationships between Permissive and Restrictive State Immigration Laws and Violent Crime Rates in Big Cities

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    View/Open: Lopes_georgetown_0076M_12519.pdf (818kB) Bookview

    Creator
    Lopes, Harrison
    Advisor
    Thomas, Adam T
    Abstract
    Traditionally a responsibility of the federal government, immigration policymaking has become more common in state legislatures. The majority of new state laws addressing immigration have been restrictive in the sense that they limit immigrants' economic, legal, social or cultural opportunities within their new American communities. Other laws are permissive, which is to say that they enhance those same opportunities. Advocates of restrictive legislation argue that such laws help protect communities by empowering law enforcement and discouraging violent criminals from entering the United States. Opponents of restrictive legislation argue that these laws alienate immigrant communities and thus increase violent crime. Using city and state level panel data from 2005 - 2012, this paper utilizes a fixed effects specification to study the relationship between restrictive and permissive state immigration laws and violent crime rates in big cities. The results suggest that there is no evidence of a relationship between state immigration legislation and violent crime. These findings contradict much of the current literature on the state immigration legislation and violent crime. The results emphasize the need for further research on the causes of immigrant-committed violent crime. The lack of evidence as to the effectiveness of state immigration legislation also calls into question its utility as a short term solution to immigration-related issues.
    Description
    M.P.P.
    Permanent Link
    http://hdl.handle.net/10822/709853
    Date Published
    2014
    Subject
    crime; immigrant; immigration; law; restrictive; violent; Public policy; Law; Political Science; Public policy; Law; Political Science;
    Type
    thesis
    Collections
    • Graduate Theses and Dissertations - Public Policy
    Metadata
    Show full item record

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Thumbnail

      THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECK LAWS FOR FIREARM SALES AND RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME AT THE STATE LEVEL 

      McCarthy, Shane (Georgetown University, 2017)
      The high rate of gun violence in the United States compared to other industrialized nations has spurred policymakers to evaluate the efficacy of various gun violence reduction policies. One major policy that has gained ...
    • Thumbnail

      Bitter Friends: How Relationships Between Violent Non-State Actors Form, Are Used, and Shape Behavior 

      Wahedi, Laila A (Georgetown University, 2017)
      Most militant groups do not act in isolation. They exist in a vast web of partnerships which help them to mobilize resources, learn, and survive. But partnerships can also be costly in terms of time, risk, and autonomy. ...
    • Thumbnail

      Violence and Religious Conviction, Strength, and Influence: Do Countries with Strong Religious Beliefs and Higher Religious Participation Rates Experience Higher Rates of Violent Crime?" 

      Golubski, Christina Marie (Georgetown University, 2012)
      This paper analyzes the relationship between violent crime and the intensity of religious beliefs across countries. In particular, it examines whether religion in itself or its provided opportunity to help its congregations ...
    Related Items in Google Scholar

    Georgetown University Seal
    ©2009 - 2018 Georgetown University Library
    37th & O Streets NW
    Washington DC 20057-1174
    202.687.7385
    digitalscholarship@georgetown.edu
     

     

    Browse

    All of DigitalGeorgetownCommunities & CollectionsCreatorsTitlesBy Creation DateThis CollectionCreatorsTitlesBy Creation Date

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Georgetown University Seal
    ©2009 - 2018 Georgetown University Library
    37th & O Streets NW
    Washington DC 20057-1174
    202.687.7385
    digitalscholarship@georgetown.edu