A recent article by Tim Prudente highlights two mothers who are advocating for the closure of the U.S. border because of the deaths of their adult children who authorities say were killed by immigrants, including Rachel Morin in Maryland. However, it’s important to place their stories in the full context of U.S. immigration and to be clear: The data shows that closing the border will not eliminate acts of violence.

As an attorney at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, formerly known as the CAIR Coalition — an organization that works with immigrants in Baltimore and beyond — I know that studies show that immigrant communities have extremely low crime rates. However, this recent article perpetuates the harmful myth of “migrant crime waves” — one that has been debunked time and time again for both documented and undocumented noncitizens.

For example, undocumented noncitizens are 33% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S., and less than half of 1% of new deportation cases in fiscal year 2024 are based on any alleged criminal activity.

Seeking asylum is a basic human right. Many people, including children, crossing the border are themselves survivors of violence. In fact, about two-thirds of noncitizens seeking asylum in immigration courts were found to be legally entitled to stay in the U.S.

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Many noncitizens rely on anecdotal information from informal networks of friends and family to enter the U.S., often unaware that there are ports of entry at which they are legally entitled to seek protection. It is unreasonable to assume that noncitizens — many of whom don’t speak English and have no access to U.S. immigration counsel — could keep up with the rapidly changing immigration landscape and adjust their entry plans accordingly.

There are no words that can bring back the two people who died, but politicizing individual instances of crime for large-scale policy proposals is not the solution. Restrictive policies at the border have failed. Safe communities should be the goal, and it can be achieved, but it should not come at the expense of denying people their right to seek protection.

We can create a more humane immigration system that affords everyone due process, protects all people seeking safety, and keeps communities together.

Amelia Dagen

Amelia Dagen is a staff attorney in the Immigration Impact Lab at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights.