Illegal immigration to the United States and crime
Crimes committed by illegal immigrants to the United States is a legal and political issue in the United States.
In the United States, illegal immigration is a federal offense under 8 U.S.C. § 1325. The maximum punishment, six months' prison term for the first offense, is equivalent to a misdemeanor in United States law, which is lower than a felony.
The issue of crimes committed by illegal immigrants to the United States is a topic that is often asserted by more conservative politicians and media outlets when discussing immigration policy in the United States.
There is scholarly consensus that illegal immigrants commit less crime than natives. Sanctuary cities—which limit or deny cooperation with the national government in enforcing immigration law—have no statistically meaningful impact on crime, and may reduce the crime rate. Research suggests that immigration enforcement has no impact on crime rates.
Some commentators argue that some of the claims linking immigration to crime are made in bad faith.