The last article I did on Trump stirred up a lot of controversy from the anti immigration front. While I do not support illegal immigration, I also do not like to see immigrants stereotyped the way Mr Trump has done. I can see it now, sorry no more gringos can come to Panama because of the crime that they bring!! For those of us who live here, we know the crooks and murderers that immigrated from the US to Panama and thank God Panamanians do not stereotype us because of a few crazies.
Here is a great article from Belen Martythe Libertarian Latina, a journalist based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Donald Trump couldn’t have been more wrong when he said Mexicans were bringing “drugs, crime, and their rapists” to the United States, according to the US-based American Immigration Council. Their latest study claims immigrants — both legal and illegal — are, in fact, less likely to commit a crime or be arrested than US-born Americans.
The report published on Wednesday, July 8, says this holds true for every immigrant group, regardless of home country, education level, or legal status.
The study’s authors, Walter Ewing, Daniel Martínez, and Rubén Rumbaut, believe current US immigration policy relies more on stereotypes than facts, given their findings that the majority of migrants are not criminals “by any commonly accepted definition of the term.”
While lawmakers may claim that anti-immigration policies are part of a broader strategy to fight crime, the experts say criminality in the United States cannot be attributed to immigrants.
“This is hardly surprising since immigrants come to the United States to pursue economic and educational opportunities not available in their home countries and to build better lives for themselves and their families. As a result, they have little to gain and much to lose by breaking the law,” they claim.
Nevertheless, US President Barack Obama has deported over 2 million people during his administration, breaking up families and communities in the process. “These are tragedies that could be prevented,” the 28-page report notes, “if only Congress would choose to inject proportionality, discretion, and a little humanity back into the immigration system.”
The study further claims that deportation is designed to expel non-violent criminals, including legal residents who have worked and raised their children in the country for decades. The authors emphasize that prejudices often influence lawmakers’ decisions when it comes to immigrants, and echo the words of psychologist Abraham Maslow: “It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
One of the principal findings of the report is that historical increases in immigration rates in the United States correlate with decreases in crime rates.
Between 1990 and 2013, the number of US residents who were born in another country swelled from 7.9 percent to 13.1 percent, and the number of illegal immigrants in the country more than tripled from 3.5 million to 11.2 million, according to the survey. However, FBI data shows that over the same period violent crime rates (robbery, rape, and murder) dropped by 48 percent.
Moreover, the report claims the US government applies a double standard with its “zero tolerance” policy towards migrants who commit minor infractions.
“‘Crimes’ which might result in a fine or a suspended sentence for natives end up getting immigrants detained and deported. This represents a double standard of justice for immigrants in which the scale of the punishment (detention and deportation) far outweighs the severity of the crime (traffic offenses, for example).”
“Open Up the Borders”
Bart Frazier, program director at the Future of Freedom Foundation, told the PanAm Post that “the fact that immigrants are statistically less likely to engage in criminal activity is unsurprising.” He says it is not an easy task to gain entry into the United States, and “immigrants who make the effort to get here are here to work, and work hard.”
“At the end of the day though, this is irrelevant. Suppose that immigrants were statistically more likely to be criminals. So what? People should be free to travel where they wish so long as their actions are peaceful, and individual rights should never be governed by cost-benefit analysis,” he said. “Open up the borders.”
Hello Tom… I was in Boquette 2013, rented a house right up the road near “Finca Lerida” ,, just below Art and Staceys house which you sold about a year ago… Would have called to have a cold Balboa but just ran out of time.. You know, eating breakfast at Olga’s, a full day at the Spa, Valle Escondito,,, had some great times,,, next time I’m up there, I will call to say hello and maybe share some stories….
Ok for a comment on the Trump Card….
It has hit a cord and frustration level with most Americans because, At the end of the day, it is all very irrelevant…
Key word Americans are keying on is “Illegal”, especially one’s convicted of a serious crimes against society… we the government, going back from both sides, doesn’t enforce laws and regs which already on the books to keep Illegals out… Yes, Trump could have rephrased it differently but in the gut of Americans they feel he’s right… illegals should not be here Period…… Forget about they are less likely to commit crimes ect ect,, who care’s, Illegals is the key word,,, they should not be here illegally, especially violent individuals killing and harming American people… and they are many..
Example:
You love Panama and its your home country along with the USA… You would like it secured and safe as possible.. Same should apply to your home. Your home is your castle… What if you come home tonight and in the new house, one of the spare bedrooms there is a family of 4 just hanging around and set up shop…(they came in thru the back door, you left it open, your border)… They occasionally walk to your fridge get food and drink, ask you if you’ll take them to the hospital for a check up ect ect.. You think you and your wife will say, ah let them stay and lets allow another family, we have more room..they seem like nice people… No way.. it seems people think as long as its happening to someone else its ok.. Of course it feels good to take the compassionate moral ground and agree to let everyone in… Is that practical..?? No way… you have to be practical and ask yourself who and how will we pay for this, how many Illegal outsiders should we take care off, ect ect..?? again Illegal is the key word…
Ok, sorry went off on a tangent and I had stopped and got some of that strong Mcdonalds coffee, maybe that’s my problem.. Anyways Tom, have a happy week and look forward to your next email…
Oh by the way, the reason I was in Panama was for a family re-union in Panama city…
My cousin was the President when Jimmy Carter was in office here and handed over the Canal…
Want to take a guess as to his name???
Rgards to all
Mr. Tom Brymer: Your “opinion” piece about Donald Trump really bent us Texas the wrong way, you are misinformed on what you put out to the people and giving the wrong info…to your readers.. If a American came across the borders of Panama without going thou customs they would be jailed for entering the Panama… Do it the right way & not the wrong way and not going thru customs like you do entering Panama there would be no issues… but your liberal mind cannot think out of the box… I know many Mexicans and yes there are many good hard working Mexicans that do want a better life.. but for every good one there are many bad ones sell drugs, raping American gals, & killing people in Texas, Arizona, & California.. our prisons are full of them..i left Arizona because of all the Mexican killing Police and Texas is not much better.. but there not going to put up with it either..expecting American to keep paying for them in all way.. 640,000 crimes committed by illegal immigrants is that something to just throw under the bus and forget about it.. you know in panama and yes I’ve been there the Police there would not put up with it… & you expect American to deal with it… pull your head out of the sand or where ever you have it & get your story correct… you are there to inform people on Panama not giving your opinion on Mexican in America that walk across the border with drug in there hands bringing to America… so what do you call that.. Mr. Trump is 100% correct and you liberals just can’t see it…
Judge them by their fruits. It’s apples to oranges. What a bunch of drivel.
Oh yeah.. I’d like to drop a few thought out here…
Trump.. A bloviate and for sure.. He didn’t say the right things the right way..
A little story I read a thousand times when I started my adulthood at work.. It was about what body part wanted to be the boss. heart : lungs, heart brain ,liver etc.. You know all the parts. To make it short, the butt won. Why, because when it shut down all the rest we’re in deep Sh*t.
Here is a case in this article. What is a fact is that 80% of the thousands of women who crossed the US Mexican border have been raped. What percent of the young boys ? But, that is a horrific truthful stat..
Who did the raping ? Maybe two monks from Tibet.
Also, the US is the nation leading the world in the number of incarcerations. A shocking number and 16 percent are Mexicans. Unbelievable. So, there are quite a few bad amigos. lets not try and guestimate the number of Latino gang members who do the criminal road trips across the border and return to the fun border towns.
I have several dozen more amazing stats ,but, the few brief factoids say enough if you look at the big picture. So, open borders.. Holly crap >
lets take me as an example. I’m now a Panama permanent resident and a Costa Rica citizen and both these countries will catch illegals and DEPORT them as fast as a flash when caught..
0% chance Trump won’t be the next US president ,but, heaven forbid Mrs. Congenital fib teller is and the USA becomes the new gang headquarters of Latin America.
How about you stick to selling real estate and skip using the newsletter to bloviate your lefty political views? The fact that they are in the country ILLEGALLY is a disregard for our laws and boundaries of our sovereign nation. They have already broken the law and if an American tried going acorss the Mexican border, they would rot in a hell hole never to be seen again. Have you forgotten our soldier who took a wrong turn??? What we have is anarchy and the leader of the nation setting free thousands of felons from the jails does make Americans unsafe.
Tom you’re getting your info from left wing think tanks.
According to Texas Public safety there was 611,234 crimes committed by illegals, including 2,993 murders from 2008 to 2014 and that is JUST Texas.
The US government stats show over 37% of all federal sentences are illegals, yet they are only less then 2.5% of the overall population in the US.
Tom you need to get your facts straight.
Bill
You miss the whole point. NO, I repeat, NO country in the world allows illegal immigration across their borders. The keyword here is ILLEGAL. Look at that poor girl who was executed in San Francisco while taking a walk with her father. The executioner was a felon, expelled five time from the U.S. and kept coming back. Do you mourn for her and for hundreds of others murdered by illegals.
Patrick
That’s the trouble with mainstream media they only print half of what Trump said. The rest of the sentence was not all Mexican were criminals but the media has to serve its leftist base,until you print all the story your half truths are lies.