Melvin Ladousier: Trump right about impact of immigrants on crime

Re “Little evidence to back Trump claims of immigrant crime” (Page 12A, Oct. 29): How short-sighted and biased is your staff? Donald Trump is not running for President of just California, yet you publish an article with just a California-specific case. He is running for president of the whole country and is commenting on the crime participation of illegals throughout the nation.

“While illegal immigrants account for about 3.5 percent of the U.S population, they represented 36.7 percent of federal sentences in 2014 following criminal convictions,” according to federal sentencing data obtained by Breitbart News. In California, the Hispanic prison population is 41.3 percent of the total incarcerated, according to Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Estimates and Statistical Analysis in 2013. California’s total Hispanic population as of 2014 was 32.4 percent. Illegal (undocumented aliens) residents make up 6 percent of the state’s population. A skilled researcher can break it down even further.

All of the statistics are available from state and federal agencies which support the basis of Trump’s statements regarding the illegal’s impact on crime and imprisonment. You need to research the facts before you publish. Last I heard, this is a national election and Trump’s statements are based on national statistics.

Editor’s note: Politifact.com, which checks the accuracy of political claims, rates the Breitbart claim that 36.7 percent of those sentenced in federal courts in 2014 were undocumented immigrants as “mostly false.” The overwhelming majority of those sentenced in federal courts are for “unlawful entry,” not violent crimes.

This story was originally published October 31, 2016 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Melvin Ladousier: Trump right about impact of immigrants on crime."