Essays on the effects of immigration on education and crime

Abstract

This thesis estimates the effects of immigration on education and crime. In Chapter I, I use a reform in immigration policy as a natural experiment to estimate the effects of immigration on native-born student outcomes in Texas. OLS estimates suggest a negative association between immigration and the passing rates of native students on a state-wide basic skills exam. However, these estimates are potentially biased by omitted variables or endogeneity. Differences-in-differences and IV estimates suggest that immigrants have a small positive effect on the outcomes of native Hispanic students and no effect on native White students. I provide evidence that resources provided for immigrants benefit native Hispanic students. In Chapter 2, I use the reform in immigration policy to estimate the effects of immigration on crime rates in Texas. OLS estimates indicate a positive correlation between immigration and crime. However, differences-in-differences and IV estimates suggest that immigrants have no effect on juvenile crime rates. In Chapter 3, I use a federal initiative to curtail illegal immigration to California as a natural experiment to estimate the effects of immigration on native student dropout rates. The operation created exogenous variation in immigration between different areas of the state. OLS estimates show a positive correlation between immigration and native dropout rates. However, differences-in-differences and IV estimates suggest that immigrants have no effect on native dropout rates.