Alex Nowrasteh | The Libertarian Institute

Immigration Politics and the Perception of Chaos

by Alex Nowrasteh | Jul 26, 2018 | Economics, Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

A compelling explanation for why the American immigration system is more restrictive than other developed countries is that voters here do not feel that they have control over the border. Pictures, videos, and the widespread perception that there is chaos on the border caused by illegal immigrants, despite facts to the contrary, have the effect of convincing American voters to be less liberal on the issue than they otherwise would be. A recent paper by political scientists Allison Harell, Stuart Soroka, and Shanto Iyengar in the journal Political Psychology tests this “locus of control”...

Criminal Immigrants: Their Numbers, Demographics, and Countries of Origin

by Alex Nowrasteh | Mar 15, 2017 | Featured Articles, Justice

In his first week in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to deport most illegal immigrants who come in contact with law enforcement.1 His order is based on the widespread perception that illegal immigrants are a significant source of crime in the United States.2 This brief uses American Community Survey data to analyze incarcerated immigrants according to their citizenship and legal status. All immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated than natives relative to their shares of the population. Even illegal immigrants are...

42 Percent of “Terrorism-Related” Convictions Aren’t for Terrorism

by Alex Nowrasteh | Mar 8, 2017 | Featured Articles, Justice

The reason for President Trump’s reissued executive order is to “protect the Nation from terrorist activities by foreign nationals admitted to the United States.” A further justification buried in the executive order is that “[s]ince 2001, hundreds of persons born abroad have been convicted of terrorism-related crimes in the United States.” What exactly is a “terrorism-related crime”? There is no definition in U.S. statutes. The phrase “terrorism-related” does appear but mostly in reference to actions of government officials in response to terrorism such as a terrorism-related travel...

Will More Countries Be Added to Trump’s Migration Ban?

by Alex Nowrasteh | Feb 7, 2017 | Featured Articles, Justice, Politics

President Trump’s executive order is facing numerous court challenges, including a temporary restraining order. My colleague David Bier has made a convincing statutoryargument that Trump’s temporarily ban on issuing visas to the nationals of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen is unlawful. The genesis of Trump’s executive order was his campaign promise of a Muslim ban which, although unpopular, is built on a sturdier legal foundation than a 21st-century national origins quota. If the court challenges fail and Trump’s ban is legal then there is a high probability that...