Examining Foreboding Assertions Regarding Illegal Immigration Presented at the Republican Convention

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas addressed the audience with concerns about illegal immigration, following an ominous video depicting chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border. Cruz referred to the situation as an “invasion” happening at the southern border of the United States.

During the event, a video narrator claimed that President Joe Biden encouraged immigrants to surge the border. The narrator used a clip from a Democratic presidential debate in 2019 where Biden mentioned the need to address asylum seekers at the border in a humane way. Biden has since emphasized sending resources to the border to handle the influx of migrants.

Another claim made during the event was that Biden’s policies led to the deaths of 300,000 Americans due to fentanyl trafficking. While much of America’s fentanyl comes from Mexico, data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission shows that a majority of fentanyl trafficking crimes are committed by U.S. citizens. The fentanyl issue predates Biden’s presidency, and seizures at the border have increased under his administration.

Cruz also stated that Americans are being harmed daily by crimes committed by illegal immigrants. While there have been high-profile crimes involving individuals in the U.S. illegally, there is no concrete evidence to support the claim that such incidents occur daily. Studies show that immigrants, including those in the country illegally, have lower crime rates than native-born Americans across various felony offenses.

According to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences based on Texas crime data, individuals in the U.S. unlawfully have lower crime rates compared to native-born citizens and legal immigrants. FBI statistics do not show a significant increase in crime by migrants, whether along the U.S.-Mexico border or in cities with high migrant populations. Research indicates that those residing unlawfully in the U.S. are less likely to have been arrested for violent, drug, and property crimes.