Polls show a significant number of Americans believe immigration is the most important issue facing the U.S. but experts argued claims of immigrants increasing violent crime do not hold up.

Nancy Foner, professor of sociology at the City University of New York's Hunter College, said labeling immigrants as criminals is an old but persistent myth. She pointed to data showing the vast majority of immigrants are not violent criminals.

"The foreign born, in fact, are much less likely than the native-born to commit violent crimes," Foner pointed out. "Cities and neighborhoods with greater concentrations of immigrants have much lower crime and violence than comparable nonimmigrant neighborhoods."

Immigrants also are blamed for smuggling fentanyl across the 2,000-mile southern border but according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 90% of drugs linked to overdose deaths are smuggled by U.S. citizens through legal ports of entry. In a February poll by Gallup, almost 30% of Americans named illegal immigration as the country's biggest problem.

Some politicians allege immigrants are being allowed into the U.S. to vote in the upcoming elections.

David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, noted noncitizens are not legally allowed to vote, and do not, in part, because they could be immediately deported if caught.

"To cast one ballot in an election in which 160 million ballots are going to be cast, it happens exceedingly rarely," Becker emphasized. "Largely because the states and federal government already have really good policies in place."

Others claim immigrants are receiving welfare.

Pia Orrenius, vice president and senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said immigrants are not eligible for food stamps, Social Security or other benefits but do pay payroll and other taxes to fund the programs. She argued immigrants actually strengthen America's economy but local governments can feel squeezed if immigrants earn low wages.

"That negative impact, it mostly comes from education," Orrenius explained. "K-12 is expensive. The spending on education is an investment. Those investments are going to pay back many times what's invested."


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Immigrant advocates in Florida are ramping up efforts to help families navigate President Donald Trump's new immigration orders, which have increased fear and uncertainty in communities across the Sunshine State.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition has been holding legal workshops, launched a Know Your Rights webpage, and operates a statewide immigration hotline to provide resources for those at risk of deportation.

Adriana Rivera, director of communications for the coalition, said with reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across Florida, the group is working to ensure immigrant families understand their constitutional rights, regardless of immigration status.

"There is an element of racial profiling that we are witnessing, where even the sole purpose of you speaking a different language has gotten people detained," Rivera observed.

The organization also urged immigrants to carry written scripts asserting their rights, particularly for children who may be questioned at school. Trump's executive orders have raised concerns about increased ICE access to schools, hospitals and other public spaces where enforcement actions were previously restricted.

In some Florida school districts, officials have been instructed to cooperate with ICE agents even if they refuse to allow parental notification before detaining a student. Rivera stressed all families should be making a plan.

"If you are a U.S. citizen but you speak a different language, but you look a certain way or you pray differently than you know. You're not a Christian. You should be thinking, well, what happens if, if this situation occurs, if that situation occurs," Rivera explained.

As enforcement actions escalate, advocates urged families to consult immigration lawyers as soon as possible, particularly those with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals as Trump's policies threaten to roll back protections.


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The City of Albuquerque and local business partners have launched a "Know Your Rights" campaign to help immigrants navigate the Trump administration's deportation crackdown on undocumented individuals.

Over the next few weeks, said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, community members will have multiple opportunities to get helpful information. He said many have expressed fear and concern about the recent federal orders, but noted that Albuquerque is an immigrant-friendly city.

"There's no record-keeping of anyone's history, in general, let alone your immigration status," he said. "And also, this applies to police and fire. Police officers are not allowed to ask for your immigration status and they're also not allowed to track if they find out your immigration status."

Adding to fears posed by legitimate Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, impersonation cases have been reported in at least three states, in which men posing as ICE agents targeted and harassed people of color, threatening them with deportation.

As surveillance and arrests ramp up, Rachel LaZar, executive director of immigrant-advocacy group El Centro, reminded businesses owners and their employees that ICE agents need a search warrant to enter spaces with signage that says "private" - including a restaurant's kitchen or restroom. She encouraged all business owners to have a plan.

"And it should be a company-wide plan, or an organization-wide plan for how to respond to ICE activity," she said. "We recommend you appoint at least one person per shift, within your company, who will know how to respond."

The "Know Your Rights" series kicked off with a presentation for business owners, but the remainder of the free webinar series will focus on individuals and community groups. Sessions will be held every Wednesday through March 12. More information is online at abq.gov/OIRA.


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Nearly one in four Americans is an immigrant or the child of an immigrant but President Donald Trump has promised to shrink those numbers through arrests and mass deportations, which have already begun.

The actions have stoked fear among immigrants and worry about how it will affect the economy.

Loren Collingwood, associate professor of political science at the University of New Mexico, is concerned massive sweeps could mistakenly target families who've been in the Southwest for more than 500 years.

"In New Mexico, we have three, four, five generations but look like they did yard work that day, an ICE official could be like, 'Oh, they're an undocumented immigrant, let's go detain them,'" Collingwood said. "That's one of the main challenges with these types of policies and laws."

There are 75 million immigrants in America, including 200,000 in New Mexico, or roughly one in 10 residents. Many fill jobs in construction, restaurants, health care, agriculture and more, while business owners generate $12 billion of economic output annually, according to New Mexico Voices for Children.

Trump has painted immigrants as criminals and worse but a 40-year incarceration project by Stanford University shows immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than those born in the U.S.

Collingwood said nonetheless, threats and dehumanization often are enough to drive immigrants out, with or without a government crackdown.

"The reality is, it costs so much money to do this," Collingwood pointed out. "So a lot of the posturing is designed at self-deportation and people have written books about this, that a lot of deportations that occur in the United States are really just immigrant populations, 'I'm just going to go back to wherever my country of origin is.'"

A Gallup poll found the percentage of U.S. adults who want to see a decrease in immigration rose to 55% in 2024, compared to 41% the year before.


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