Replication data for: Effects of Immigrant Legalization on Crime

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Scott R. Baker

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  Baker_Data-and-Code 10/20/2021 01:07:PM
LICENSE.txt text/plain 14.6 KB 10/12/2019 06:28:AM

Project Citation: 

Baker, Scott R. Replication data for: Effects of Immigrant Legalization on Crime. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2015. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-12. https://doi.org/10.3886/E113380V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary I examine the effects that the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which legalized almost 3 million immigrants, had on crime in the United States. I exploit the IRCA's quasi-random timing as well as geographic variation in the intensity of treatment to isolate causal impacts. I find decreases in crime of 3-5 percent, primarily due to decline in property crimes, equivalent to 120,000-180,000 fewer violent and property crimes committed each year due to legalization. I calibrate a labor market model of crime, finding that much of the drop in crime can be explained by greater labor market opportunities among applicants.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms wages; immigration; irca; immigration reform and control act
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
      J18 Demographic Economics: Public Policy
      K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) administrative records data; text

Methodology

Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation Individual,

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Published Versions

V1 [2019-10-12]

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