El Paso skyline, looking toward Juarez, Mexico. Photo: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Several communities along the U.S.-Mexico border saw homicide rates fall last year to levels that are well below the national average, Axios' Russell Contreras found in analyzing FBI crime data out this week.
Why it matters: Many Republicans have focused on illegal immigration as the presidential election approaches, often portraying border communities as chaotic and lawless.
What we found: Eight U.S. border communities had lower homicide rates than the national average, per the FBI data, which was released Monday.
On average, the eight cities — Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, Eagle Pass and El Paso in Texas; Sunland Park, New Mexico; Yuma, Arizona; and San Diego — had a homicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 residents, compared to 6.3 nationwide.
Reality check: The same cities also saw jumps in overall violent crime in 2022, after seeing years of declines.
The eight communities had a violent crime rate of 382 per 100,000 residents in 2022 — a 10% increase from the year before.
The border communities had violent crime rates slightly above the national average for the first time in years.
