We examine whether, and the circumstances under which, within-country migration leads to nativist violence. Using data from India, we instrument for migration using weather shocks in migrants’ places of origin. We find a direct effect of migration on riots and insurgency, but do not find that this effect is exacerbated by economic competition. We instead argue and find evidence for the hypothesis that domestic political resources condition the effects of migration on violence. Host populations that are politically-aligned with the central government are able to pursue non-violent, albeit oftentimes coercive, means to appease nativists and reduce migration. Without these political resources, hosts resort to violence. This paper furthers our understanding of the links between migration and violence, and demonstrates a widely applicable strategy for recovering the causal effect of migration on violence.