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America's deadly export: Evidence from cross-country panel data of deportation and homicide rates

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  • Blake, Garfield O.

Abstract

Changes in US Immigration laws between the mid-1980s to the late 1990s led to a sharp increase in criminal deportations. During the same years many poor countries, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, experienced a sharp increase in homicides. Using panel data for a sample of 38 developed and developing countries, I find a statistically significantly positive relationship between an increase in the number of criminal deportees received by a country and a corresponding increase in that country's homicide rate, and I establish causality through instrumental variables. My analysis suggests that about 23 percent of the increase in the homicide rate in developing countries between 1985 and 1996 can be attributed to the increase in the inflow of criminal deportees from the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Blake, Garfield O., 2014. "America's deadly export: Evidence from cross-country panel data of deportation and homicide rates," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 156-168.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:irlaec:v:37:y:2014:i:c:p:156-168
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irle.2013.10.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Sandra V. Rozo & Therese Anders & Steven Raphael, 2021. "Deportation, crime, and victimization," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 141-166, January.
    2. Garfield O. Blake, 2015. "Using Increases in Criminal Deportees from the US to Estimate the Effect of Crime on Economic Growth and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean," Laws, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Rozo, Sandra V. & Anders, Therese & Raphael, Steven, 2020. "Deportation, Crime, and Victimization," GLO Discussion Paper Series 545, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Ambrosius, Christian, 2021. "Deportations and the transnational roots of gang violence in Central America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    5. Kalsi, Priti, 2018. "The impact of U.S. deportation of criminals on gang development and education in El Salvador," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 433-448.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Criminal deportees; Homicides; Panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N46 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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