Immigrants have a much lower incarceration rate than native-born Americans. But many people don't understand how much lower. 🧵

Illegal immigrants are 41 percent less likely to be incarcerated than native‐​born Americans. Legal immigrants are 74 percent less likely to be incarcerated than natives.

This is for 2018.

If native‐​born Americans were incarcerated at the same rate as illegal immigrants, about 785,000 fewer natives would be incarcerated. If natives were incarcerated at the same rate as legal immigrants, about 1.4 million fewer natives would be incarcerated.

Those are MASSIVE differences.

One of the common comments from people who skim my work is "what about race? Why don't you separate incarceration rates by race or ethnicity? What are you hiding?"

It's an odd comment because I do separate incarceration rates by race and ethnicity.

Mexicans are the largest immigrant group to the United States. In the 18-54 age range, Mexican immigrants have an incarceration range of 912 per 100,000 Mexican immigrants.

That's 38% below all natives and about the same (slightly below) that of white natives.

Of the 5 largest immigrant groups in the United States, all have incarceration rates far below those of native-born Americans.

Special shoutout to Indian immigrants who have an incarceration rate 95% below native-born Americans. Well done!

You can read more about immigrant incarceration here: www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/illegal-immigrant-incarceration-rates-2010-2018-demographic...