During a recent political statement, Disney Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo made a sweeping claim that raised eyebrows among those who’ve actually looked at crime statistics.
Mark Ruffalo: “The immigrants aren’t the criminals…most of the crimes committed in this country are by white people.”
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) June 18, 2025
“The immigrants aren’t the criminals,” he said. “Most of the crimes committed in this country are by White people.”
It’s a sentiment that plays well with Hollywood progressives and cable news panels. But the truth is far more complicated. And the numbers Ruffalo seems to reference tell a story he probably didn’t intend.
FBI Data Shows “White” Majority, But That’s Misleading
According to the most recent full dataset from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, “White” offenders made up 69.4% of all arrests in 2019 (this is the last time criminal activity was reported by the FBI broken down by race). That figure includes everything from theft and vandalism to DUI and minor drug charges.
Mark Ruffalo speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Thor: Ragnarok” Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
But there’s a catch: the FBI categorizes most Hispanics as “White” in these reports. In fact, the “White” label includes anyone who self-identifies that way, regardless of ethnic origin or citizenship status. That means illegal immigrants who don’t identify as Black, Asian, or another minority group are often logged under “White” in arrest records.
So while Ruffalo tries to separate immigrants from “White” offenders in his statement, federal crime data does not. The very group he’s defending may, in many cases, be part of the “White” arrest statistic he’s using to assign blame.
Violent Crime Data Tells a More Complex Story
Looking deeper into specific crimes, the breakdown shifts.
Murder arrests in 2019 were listed as 51.3% Black and 45.7% White (again, including many Hispanics in that statistic).
(L-R): Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk / Bruce Banner and Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer “Jen” Walters/She-Hulk in Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
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So while “White” offenders do comprise the largest racial group in raw totals, they are not the majority in the most serious crimes. And again, much of that White category includes individuals Ruffalo would likely classify as part of the marginalized immigrant population.
Immigrants and Crime: What the Data Really Shows
On one point, Ruffalo is actually right—immigrants, including illegal ones, do not commit crimes at elevated rates. But that’s not because “White people” are the real criminals. It’s because the data contradicts both extremes.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Chris Evans as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, and Mark Ruffalo as Hulk in The Avengers (2012), Marvel Entertainment
A 2024 study by the Cato Institute, using comprehensive data from the Texas Department of Public Safety, found that:
- Illegal immigrants were 26% less likely than native-born Americans to be convicted of homicide.
- They were 42% less likely to be convicted of SA.
- Their overall criminal conviction rate was significantly lower than that of citizens.
Texas is the gold standard here because it’s one of the only states that rigorously tracks immigration status in convictions. And the findings are consistent with studies published in peer-reviewed journals like PNAS and Criminology.
Bottom Line
Ruffalo’s comment is based on a flawed (intentional or not) understanding of federal crime data. He’s right that immigrants aren’t driving crime in America—but blaming “White people” to make that point is both misleading and irresponsible.
A screenshot from Thor Ragnarok where Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo talks with Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth – YouTube, U Media
Here’s the truth:
- Yes, White offenders (including Hispanics) make up the largest share of total arrests, but not a majority of violent crime.
- Yes, the FBI’s “White” category includes immigrants—including illegal ones—contradicting Ruffalo’s narrative.
- Yes, immigrants commit fewer crimes overall—but that doesn’t make “White people” the default scapegoat.
Crime is a complicated issue with social, economic, and cultural factors. Oversimplifying it into racial blame games might score points on social media, but it doesn’t help anyone understand the truth.
How do you feel about Mark Ruffalo and his comments on crime and race? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
