Does the the forced removal of undocumented immigrants from the United States increases violent crime in Mexican municipalities? A new GLO Discussion Paper finds that municipalities with greater geographic exposure to deportation flows have indeed higher violent crime.

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GLO Discussion Paper No. 545, 2020

Deportation, Crime, and Victimization – Download PDF
by Rozo, Sandra V. & Anders, Therese & Raphael, Steven

GLO Fellow Sandra Rozo

Author Abstract: We study whether the forced removal of undocumented immigrants from the United States increases violent crime in Mexican municipalities. Using municipal panel data on homicide rates matched with annual deportation flows from the United States to Mexico, we assess whether municipalities with repatriation points experience higher violent crime with surges in deportation flows. We consistently find that municipalities with greater geographic exposure to deportation flows have higher violent crime. The effects are mostly driven by increments in homicide rates of young males and minors.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers). Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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