Immigration, Employment Opportunities, and Criminal Behavior

2018/04/26 by Matthew Freedman, Emily Owens, Sarah Bohn · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Health Professions · #Migration and Labor Dynamics #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Employment and Welfare Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.1257/pol.20150165

openalex publication_date 2018/04/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

We take advantage of provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which granted legal resident status to long-time unauthorized residents but created new obstacles to employment for more recent immigrants, to explore how employment opportunities affect criminal behavior. Exploiting administrative data on the criminal justice involvement of individuals in San Antonio, Texas and using a triple-differences strategy, we find evidence of an increase in felony charges filed against residents most likely to be negatively affected by IRCA's employment regulations. Our results suggest a strong relationship between access to legal jobs and criminal behavior. (JEL J15, J18, J61, K37, K42, R23)

Citations

• Immigrant Characteristics and Hispanic-Anglo Housing Inequality
• The immigration–crime relationship: Evidence across US metropolitan areas
• The New Era of Mexican Migration to the United States
• Why are Immigrants' Incarceration Rates so Low? Evidence on Selective Immigration, Deterrence, and Deportation

Cited by

• Effects of Immigrant Legalization on Crime
• Illegal immigration to the United States [wikipedia]

Related

• Effects of Immigrant Legalization on Crime
• Citizenship, legal status, and misdemeanor justice
• Comparing crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and native-born US citizens in Texas
• The effects of tougher enforcement on the job prospects of recent Latin American immigrants
• Does Immigration Enforcement Reduce Crime? Evidence from Secure Communities