# Haitian Immigrants Have a Low Incarceration Rate — Cato Expert 

The Trump administration’s most consistent argument against immigration is crime.

July 8, 2025 • News Releases 

Cato Institute Vice President for Economic and Social Policy Studies [Alex Nowrasteh](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Falex-nowrasteh/1/01000197eafe7b94-048e8c03-6094-486b-8ad7-328de44173b2-000000/8674mg0w5-8kJP9lDa0e3XaNskQ=434___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjNlZWVlNzA1N2ExMjNiODc1YTMzNjlmMDlmM2EzOGQ5Ojc6YjBjMjowZTQyZDdlMGFiMzVhZjMzZDkxYjg0MTZmNWRjY2I5MzcyNmZhZmJjMjAzOWIyYjAzNTI3ZjE5NWQ4ZTMwM2JhOmg6VDpO) is available for interviews in light of the Trump administration recently revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians.

The Trump administration’s most consistent argument against immigration is crime. In a [new blog post](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fhaitian-immigrants-have-low-incarceration-rate/1/01000197eafe7b94-048e8c03-6094-486b-8ad7-328de44173b2-000000/BHRFSs6Kh4Lyq8BpjoO0mKrvgUo=434___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjNlZWVlNzA1N2ExMjNiODc1YTMzNjlmMDlmM2EzOGQ5Ojc6OTM3ZTo3MTA5OTdiMmIzMGMxNmE5MzA2YTkyYjQ5YTc0ZGVhNWY0MGEzYzRlMzU3ZDA1MmYwNWU4ZTA2MDRkM2ZkMTFkOmg6VDpO), Nowrasteh analyzes American Community Survey (ACS) data on incarceration for 2023 and finds that Native-born Americans have an incarceration rate 48 percent higher than that of all Haitian immigrants. Haitian illegal immigrants have an incarceration rate 81 percent below native-born Americans, while legal Haitian immigrants have an incarceration rate about 37 percent below native-born Americans.

If you would like to speak with Nowrasteh, please contact [pr@​cato.​org](mailto:pr@cato.org) to set up an interview.

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