Debunking 7 Major Anti-Immigrant Myths

Arming you with the tools to counter racist anti-immigrant rhetoric, and instead demand justice for all people in America

I'm a human rights lawyer. I have represented immigrants and asylum seekers my entire career. Earlier this week I wrote a thorough article on how ordinary US citizens like you and me can be an ally to protect immigrants from ICE and CBP abuse. In response, I received a number of questions from readers asking me to debunk anti-immigrant propaganda. It is critical we recognize the disinformation and misinformation spewing out of the White House for what it is, as only then can we properly change the narrative to one of true justice and human rights. So let’s dive in to debunk seven of the most common anti-immigrant myths. Let’s Address This.

A woman holds a sign that declares “immigrants make America great.” Credit: The Globe Post

Claim 1: Immigrants increase crime

Fact: False. Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, have lower crime rates than native-born U.S. citizens. This has been consistently documented over not just decades, but over centuries. A Northwestern University study looked at data going back to 1870 and found:

Using incarceration rates as a proxy for crime, a team of economists analyzed 150 years of U.S. Census data and found immigrants were consistently less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. They also found beginning in 1960, the incarceration gap widened such that immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than the U.S.-born. “Our study shows that since 1870, it has never been the case that immigrants as a group have been more incarcerated than the U.S.-born,” Jácome said.

In other words, the more immigrants you have in your neighborhood, the statistically safer is your neighborhood.

Claim 2: Undocumented immigrants are, by definition, criminals

Fact: False. The rhetoric that undocumented immigrants are "criminals" simply by virtue of being undocumented is misleading and disingenuous. Crossing the border without proper documentation is a civil violation, not a criminal one. It’s comparable to receiving a parking ticket or speeding ticket—a misdemeanor, not a felony. Moreover, the process to apply for asylum—which is a legal act protected by U.S. and international law—necessarily requires crossing the border without documentation and then applying. Asylum is legal immigration, and undocumented immigration is not a criminal act.

And given that every MAGA accusation seems to be a confession, remember that Elon Musk was an undocumented immigrant himself. You can watch the short clip linked below from 2013, where Musk’s brother admits they were both “illegal immigrants.”

These “illegal immigrants” illegally slept at their office (i.e. were homeless) and didn’t even have a car (i.e. low income). Yet now Musk seems to have a short term memory as he demonizes immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants.

Claim 3: Undocumented immigrants bring drugs

Fact: False. The data is truly staggering at how much drugs are a U.S. citizen problem for which immigrants are being unfairly maligned, and how U.S. policies to restrict documented immigration has exacerbated the drug crisis. Brookings reports:

• Annually 88% of drug trafficking is conducted by U.S. citizens, not by immigrants.

• Out of those arrested by Border Patrol for illegal crossings, only 0.02% were found with any fentanyl.

• Annual deaths from fentanyl doubled between 2019 and 2021—after the U.S. government banned asylum, a policy that did nothing to curb the problem.

The Brookings report went on to find:

Traffickers also extensively hide fentanyl and other drugs within legal cargo entering the United States through legal ports of entry.

In other words, building a vanity wall would do nothing to actually stop the flow of narcotics. The real solution to America’s drug crisis requires comprehensive drug policy reform, smarter border management to target actual traffickers, and a humane immigration system built on justice. Demonizing immigrants achieves none of this.

Claim 4: Immigrants drain the economy

Fact: False. Countless studies quantify the immense economic benefit immigrants, and undocumented immigrants, contribute to the U.S. economy. Far from “taking Black jobs,” as Trump claims, immigrants ignite the economy and decrease overall unemployment. And while I can cite numerous studies, I’ll opt to cite one by the George W. Bush Institute, lest someone accuse me of cherry picking a left leaning organization. The Bush study concludes:

Immigration fuels the economy. When immigrants enter the labor force, they increase the productive capacity of the economy and raise GDP. Their incomes rise, but so do those of natives. It’s a phenomenon dubbed the “immigration surplus,” and it amounts to $36 to $72 billion per year.

But what about undocumented immigrants? The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (“ITEP”) reports a shocking fact that no fair minded person could argue is bad for the economy. ITEP concludes:

Undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. Most of that amount, $59.4 billion, was paid to the federal government while the remaining $37.3 billion was paid to state and local governments.

For perspective, undocumented immigrants pay more in taxes than the entire GDP of at least 10 U.S. states. These are taxes they pay towards our Medicare, Medicaid, and social service programs, for which they receive no benefit whatsoever. That’s also more in taxes annually than Musk or Trump will ever pay in a lifetime.

Claim 5: Immigrants are lazy & collect welfare.

Fact: False. Most immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, are ineligible for federal public benefits such as welfare, food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). According to U.S. law, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) must wait at least five years before they can access these benefits. Undocumented immigrants and certain temporary visa holders are entirely ineligible for most federal welfare programs.

It’s fascinating how immigrants are somehow both lazy and collect welfare, and also stealing our jobs. Behold, Schrödinger's immigrant!

Claim 6: Immigrants bring diseases into the U.S.

Fact: False. Immigrants have higher vaccination rates than U.S. citizens. So not only are they less likely to carry diseases, they are also more likely to help prevent the spread of illnesses. This myth is particularly dangerous because the Trump administration is using it to literally “find a disease” they can use as an excuse to invoke Title 42 and close the border to all new immigration.

Claim 7: Immigrants hurt American innovation.

Fact: False. Immigrants have long been drivers of American entrepreneurship and innovation. Did you know that 44% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children? That’s 224 of the most successful companies in America today. These companies create jobs, stimulate growth, and solidify the U.S. as a leader in the global economy. Millions of Americans are employed today, most of whom are U.S. citizens, due to immigrant ingenuity. Instead of stifling economic progress, immigrants are at the forefront of ensuring our economic success.

Bonus: Immigrants don’t qualify for due process of law.

Fact: False. The United States Constitution is explicitly clear that every person in the United States, regardless of citizenship, immigration, or documentation status, is guaranteed full constitutional rights and protections. For example, the Fifth Amendment declares “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.” The Constitution uses the word “person,” not citizen, in defining who gets rights. The Supreme Court has additionally and repeatedly ruled that all people in this country qualify for due process. Any and all claims by the Trump regime that immigrants can be denied full constitutional protections is a dangerous fabrication that has no legal standing.

Conclusion

The truth is clear: immigrants do not threaten the American dream—they are essential to it. And yet, with every election cycle and every cynical press release from the Trump regime, these same tired lies are repackaged and recycled to justify cruelty. Lies used to justify detaining children, splitting up families, and violently raiding communities under the pretense of “law and order.” But there is no justice in scapegoating the most vulnerable. There is no honor in punishing people for seeking a better life.

I became a human rights lawyer to fight precisely this kind of injustice—rooted in fear, disinformation, and bigotry. And I cannot do it alone. If you found value in this article, I ask you to join me in this work. Share these truths. Challenge these myths. And if you’re able, support this platform as a free or paid subscriber so I can keep publishing facts and defending those whose voices are so often silenced.

Because the facts are on our side. The law is on our side. Now we need to ensure the people are, too.