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By J. James Estrada

Two new studies were released in October on the relationship between illegal immigrants and crime in the U.S. The first released October 1, 2008, by the Center for Immigration Studies deals with gang activity, and the second, released October 3, 2008, by the Maricopa County Attorneys Office in Phoenix, Arizona, details the percentage of crimes committed by border violators in the third largest county in the U.S.

“Taking Back the Streets: ICE and Local Law Enforcement Target Immigrant Gangs” is the Center for Immigration Studies report that offers these highlights:

# Transnational immigrant gangs have been spreading rapidly and sprouting in suburban and rural areas where communities are not always equipped to deal with them.

# A very large share of immigrant gang members are illegal aliens and removable aliens. Federal sources estimate that 60 to 90 percent of the members of MS-13, the most notorious immigrant gang, are illegal aliens. In one jurisdiction studied, Northern Virginia, 30 to 40 percent of the gang task force case load were removable aliens.

# MS-13 activity was found in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

# The immigrant gangsters arrested were a significant menace to the public. About 80 percent had committed serious crimes in addition to their immigration violations and 40 percent were violent criminals.

# While immigration law enforcement is a federal responsibility, ICE cannot do the job effectively without assistance from state and local law enforcement, particularly when it comes to immigrant gangs.

# Failure to adequately control the U.S.-Mexico border and to deter illegal settlement in general undermines the progress ICE and local law enforcement agencies have made in disrupting criminal immigrant street gangs.

The MCAO report from County Attorney Andrew Thomas features these startling numbers for prosecuted felony cases in Maricopa County, Arizona:

In 2007, illegal immigrants accounted for:

“10% of sex crimes convictions
“11% of murders convictions
“13% of stolen cars convictions
“13% of aggravated assaults convictions
” 17% of those sentenced for violent crimes
” 19% of those sentenced for property crimes
” 20% of those sentenced for felony DUI.
“21% of crimes committed with weapons
“34% of those sentenced for the manufacture, sale or transport of drugs
“36% of those sentenced for kidnapping
“44% of forgeries
“50% of those sentenced for crimes related to “chop shops”
“85% of false ID convictions
“96% of smuggling convictions

Illegal immigrants make up 19 percent of those convicted of crimes in Maricopa County and 21 percent of those in county jails.

Illegal immigrants only make up an estimated 9 percent of the county’s population.

It is estimated that each violent crime cost citizens $20,000, and each property crime cost citizens $4363 per offense.

All the more a concern is research that finds the likelihood of an illegal immigrant being incarcerated grows with longer residence in the United States and that the U.S. born children (considered citizens) of illegal immigrants are dramatically more likely to be involved in crime than their illegal immigrant parents. For instance, native born Hispanic male high school dropouts are eleven times more likely to be incarcerated than their foreign born counterparts.

While the illegal immigration crime link was off the radar screen in the presidential campaign, not even selected by Tom Brokaw for a question in the last presidential debate, it certainly bears reporting when new information that bolsters the questioned warnings many Americans have been sounding about safety, security, and border enforcement come to light.

Our county health department seems to serve only Hispanic speaking folks these days, most pregnant with allegedly anchor babies. MS13 graffitti is everywhere…to the point Asian Pride and Gangster Disciples are getting angry, not to mention the Kurd gangs in Nashville!

Keep spanking the politicos, especially politicians with badges, Brother Jack!

Well, less now that housing starts have collapsed and people are mowing their own grass.