Four academic studies in 2018 show that illegal immigration does not increase the prevalence of violent crime or drug and alcohol problems. A study by the libertarian Cato Institute found that native-born residents were more likely to be convicted of a crime than were immigrants in the country lawfully or unlawfully. In an interview with NPR last May, then-White House chief of staff John Kelly acknowledged that most people crossing the border illegally “are not bad people.” “They’re not criminals,” Kelly said. “They’re not MS-13 gang members.”
