Intro >>> WELCOME BACK TO AMERICA DECIDES HERE AT DAY TWO OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION. FACT. FBI CRIME STATISTICS SHOW CRIME IS DOWN AND THAT IS ALSO WHAT STATISTICS IN MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES SHOW. BUT HOW DO ACTUAL VOTERS FEEL ABOUT CRIME ITSELF? CBS NEWS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS ANTHONY JOINS US NOW. Crime a factor in peoples vote ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR US, ANTHONY. >> HOW ARE YOU DOING, MAJOR? GREAT TO TALK TO YOU. IS CRIME A FACTOR IN PEOPLE'S VOTE? YEAH. FOR THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IT IS. FOR A MAJORITY IT IS A MAJOR FACTOR. HAVING SAID THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS WE EXPLAINED TO PEOPLE AND CONTEXTUALIZE WHY YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT FOR REPUBLICANS IT IS EVEN MORE SO. THREE QUARTERS OF REPUBLICANS THAT SAY CRIME IS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THEIR VOTE. A LOT OF THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH YOUR FAVORITE CANDIDATE. BUT REPUBLICANS DO FEEL THAT IF DONALD TRUMP GETS ELECTED THAT CRIME RATE WILL GO DOWN FOR AT Crime and immigration LEAST FURTHER DOWN, TO YOUR POINT. >> ANTHONY IN NEW YORK. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WANT TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION BY BRINGING IN OUR CBS NEWS IMMIGRATION POLITICS REPORTER BECAUSE, AS YOU WELL KNOW, FOR REPUBLICANS AND FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, ONE OF THE PRISMS BY WHICH THEIR VOTERS AND THE FORMER PRESIDENT YOU CRIME IS THROUGH MIGRANTS CROSSING THE BORDER. EXPLAINED TO OUR AUDIENCE WHAT THE FACTS ARE. WHAT DO WE KNOW?, FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IS YET AGAIN MAKING IMMIGRATION A MAJOR PILLAR TO HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND HIS BID TO RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THERE HAVE BEEN RECORD NUMBERS OF MIGRANT CROSSINGS ALONG THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION THAT IS TRUE ABOUT 8 MILLION MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS READ THAT IS A FACT. BUT NOT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE ENCOUNTERS EQUALS AN INDIVIDUAL MIGRANT BECAUSE MANY OF THESE MIGRANTS ARE CROSSING THE BORDER MULTIPLE TIMES ILLEGALLY AND ARE BEING COUNTED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THOSE TALLIES. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT NOT EVERY MIGRANT IS ALLOWED TO STAY. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION UNBEKNOWNST TO A LOT OF PEOPLE CARRIED OUT OVER 4 MILLION DEPORTATIONS, EXPULSIONS, AND RETURNS. SO HALF OF THOSE WERE MIGRANTS BEING KICKED OUT OF THE U.S. BUT IT IS STILL A MAJOR ISSUE. REESE HAVE SEEN A RECENT DECREASE -- A SHARP DECREASE IN ILLEGAL CROSSINGS SINCE PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE MOST MIGRANTS INELIGIBLE UNDER THAT EXECUTIVE ACTION. AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE SEEN REPUBLICANS DAVID TO ANOTHER IMMIGRATION CONCERN. THAT IS OF CRIME. TYING IMMIGRATION AND CRIME INTO ONE ISSUE POLITICALLY. THEY ARE HIGHLIGHTING SOME HEINOUS CRIMES COMMITTED BY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S. >> STATISTICS SHOW OVER AND OVER -- THIS IS SOMETHING I AM TOLD ANALYSTS AGREE ACROSS THE BOARD. REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS THAT LOOK AT THIS IDEOLOGICALLY. MIGRANTS COMMIT FEWER CRIMES THAN NATIVE AMERICANS ACROSS THE BOARD. >> THE DATA IS NOT VERY COMPETENCE OF THEM THIS QUESTION, BUT THE ANALYSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE DO NOT SHOW THAT MIGRANTS ARE COMMITTING CRIMES AT A HIGHER RATE THAN NATIVE AMERICAN CITIZENS. IN FACT, BORDER PATROL DATA ACTUALLY SHOWS THAT CRIMINALS MAKE UP A VERY TINY FRACTION OF THE PEOPLE CROSSING THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER. ANECDOTALLY I CAN TELL YOU THAT THOSE ARE THE MIGRANTS I HAVE MET HERE IN THE U.S. AND ACROSS THE BORDER. PEOPLE FLEEING DESPERATE CIRCUMSTANCES, WHETHER IT IS PO