Daniel E. Martínez Participated in “Congressional ‘Ask a Criminologist" Series

n June of 2019, Daniel E. Martínez participated in the fourth annual “Congressional ‘Ask a Criminologist’ Series: What is the Connection between Immigration & Crime?” Martínez discussed the research he has conducted with his collaborator, Ricardo D. Martínez-Schuldt, which examines the relationships between so-called “sanctuary” policies and public safety.

Their research, based on several projects, finds that the implementation of sanctuary policies at the city level does not lead to increased violent crime incidents. In fact, such policies actually result decreased robbery incidents. They also find that these policies encourage Latino residents to report violent victimization to law enforcement, which suggests that sanctuary policies help facilitate trust between Latino communities and local officials.

The Crime & Justice Research Alliance and the Consortium of Social Science Associations organized the congressional briefing, and was held in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2019.