FBI report on crime in border states shows surprising statistics

PHOENIX - A new FBI crime report focuses on crime in border states, and the results may surprise you.

Politicians who pushed for the new immigration law hammered home the point that undocumented immigrants bring violence into Arizona and other border communities.

“Seventeen percent of these people who are crossing the border illegally have already committed crimes in the United States,” said Senator John McCain (R-AZ) during an ABC15 immigration special.

When Governor Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070, she told reporters, “Border-related violence and crime due to illegal immigration are critically important issues for the people of our state.”

But the FBI report shows that the nation’s top four big cities with the lowest rates of violent crime are all in border states—Phoenix, El Paso, Austin and San Diego.

“One reason is that illegals aren’t staying here anymore,” said Valley resident Joann Budziszewski. “They are moving to other parts of the country. They come through and they leave.”

“It’s worse now than it’s ever been,” said the bill’s sponsor, Senator Russel Pearce (R-AZ) during the same immigration special. “We’ve had homes invaded. One had 18 burglaries, three home invasions. They don’t live in their homes anymore, and those that do, their homes are boarded, their windows are boarded, they don’t come out at night. They pray for daylight. Their livestock is murdered.”

But the Associated Press reports that violent crimes in southwest border counties have dropped by 30 percent over the last two decades, and that fewer border patrol agents are victimized than police officers and Sheriff’s deputies.

“I don’t think citizenship has any bearing on violent crime,” said John Shough, another Valley resident.

“They do cause a percentage of the crime, but you can’t hold them responsible for everything,” said Dane brown, who also lives in the Valley. “The whole country is struggling.”