Arizona's Illegals More Than Twice as Likely to Be in Prison

A report based on conviction data suggests illegal immigrants in Arizona commit crimes at twice the rate of other residents.

According to data compiled by the Crime Prevention Research Center, illegal immigrants between ages 15 and 35 account for under 3 percent of Arizona's population but make up approximately 8 percent of the prison population.

The report also found the crimes of which the illegal immigrants were convicted tended to be more serious.

Previous studies on the topic usually do not compare conviction data between legal and illegal populations, according to research center president and report author John R. Lott.

"There appears to be a huge difference between the two groups," Lott told The Washington Times.

"The type of person who goes through the process to legally immigrate in the United States appears to be very law-abiding versus even the U.S.-born population."

Lott is a commentator, economist, and gun rights activist.

• Sarah Sanders: Trump Not Using 'Code' While Speaking of Immigrants
• 77 People Packed in UPS-Like Truck Near Mexico Border