The ongoing debate in Washington over what to do about the so-called DREAMers--younger illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children--is not painting a completely accurate picture. Multiple new reports show that many of these DREAMers are actually creating a nightmare, committing crimes like murder, robbery, aggravated assault, rape, and gang activity.
The Crime Prevention Research Center has released a new report which examined criminal convictions in Arizona over a 32-year period dating back to 1985. The center's president John Lott Jr. says it revealed a clear distinction within the immigrant population. "Illegal immigrants commit crimes at very high rates, whereas legal immigrants are actually pretty law-abiding," he tells KTRH. In particular, the study looked at the crime rates of DREAMer-aged illegals. "Illegal immigrants in Arizona between 15 and 35 make up about two percent of the Arizona population, but they actually make up eight percent of the prison population," says Lott.
The study also found even more disturbing trends about younger illegal immigrants. "They're committing crimes at more than twice the rate that (non-illegal) young people do, and they tend to commit relatively more serious crimes," says Lott. "They were also 45 percent more likely to be gang members than were U.S. citizens."
There's even further evidence of crimes committed by DREAMer-aged illegals. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports that over the last five years, about 3,000 young illegals were stripped of their protections under the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program due to criminal or gang activity.