WASHINGTON, D.C. – One of the most frequently cited justifications for sanctuary policies is the claim that immigrants are less willing to report victimization to authorities. A new report by the Center for Immigration Studies casts doubt on this claim, using the latest data from the National Crime Victimization Survey.

Jessica Vaughan, the Center’s director of policy studies and a co-author of the report, said, “This new data from the Justice Department showing that immigrant crime reporting does not lag behind other groups should be very reassuring to local law enforcement agencies, especially in the parts of the country that have rejected sanctuary policies.  Rather than shutting down cooperation with immigration authorities over these concerns, local governments and advocates for immigrants should help spread the message that crime victims are not targets of immigration enforcement.”

Participating in the discussion will be two of the study's co-authors, Center researchers Jessica Vaughan and Steven Camarota. They will be joined by Capt. Keith Harmon of the Collier County, Fla. Sheriff’s Department, which has long experience with ICE's 287(g) program. The panel will be moderated by Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director.