The Trump administration's enforcement of immigration laws, to include arrests by ICE agents, has created fear in illegal immigrant communities to the point that they're not reporting some crimes out of fears their identities will be discovered.
A report released Monday by the Migration Policy Institute concluded that ICE arrests and deportations — which have risen under President Donald Trump — are impacting how some people live their lives.
"Broader enforcement and narrowed prosecutorial discretion have generated a climate of fear that is changing the behavior of immigrants and their families and communities," the report reads. "In the MPI study sites, local businesses, public safety, and the use of education, health, and social services for which immigrants are eligible all report being affected."
Illegal immigrants are driving less out of fears they will be pulled over by the police, are less likely to report certain crimes in order to avoid authorities, and are using healthcare services on fewer occasions.
"As the war of words, legislation, and litigation escalate, growing enforcement disparities and uneven treatment across levels of government threaten federal pre-eminence in immigration and undermine effective law enforcement relationships and the ability to ensure public safety and security," the report reads.
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