Tag: borders
Mises on immigration: setting the record straight
July 13, 2023 | Post
To set the record straight on the matter of liberty and immigration, let’s look to one of the most influential classical liberal thinkers, Ludwig von Mises, for guidance…
Why China’s aggressive expansionism in Arunachal Pradesh is completely unjustified
February 6, 2023 | Post
The Chinese regime’s claims on Arunachal Pradesh are wholly unjustified. The preference of a region’s inhabitants as well as international agreements are far more relevant factors when determining its status than claims based on ancient history and expansionist aggression.
Bryan Caplan: Is immigration a basic human right?
March 31, 2017 | Post
Editors Note: On March 16th George Mason University Professor of Economics Bryan Caplan debated Washington University Professor of Philosophy Christopher Wellman on the topic, “Is Immigration a Basic Human Right?” Below is Professor Caplan’s opening statement. There are many complaints about governments, but the harshest is, “This government grossly violates human rights.” The background assumption is that […]
The classical liberal case against nationalist immigration restrictions
March 26, 2017 | Post
If any part of liberalism needs revitalizing, it’s the case for liberalizing immigration. Nationalists on the left and right argue that easing immigration restrictions would make Americans worse off. During the Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders criticized open borders as a “right-wing proposal” that would “make everybody in America poorer.” And of course Donald Trump is calling […]
Huge net costs from Trump’s new executive order cutting refugees
March 11, 2017 | Post
President Trump earlier this week issued a revised version of his infamous executive order to temporarily ban the issuance of new green cards and visas for nationals from Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. The new order dropped Iraq, which eviscerated Trump’s argument that the list of banned countries is based on an existing list […]
Refugees, immigration, and the trolley problem
March 5, 2017 | Post
During the presidential campaign Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, tweeted a picture of a bowl of Skittles candies along with the caption: “If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.” Trump’s tweet generated backlash from many corners but […]
Cutting legal immigration won’t help low-skilled American workers
February 28, 2017 | Post
Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA) recently introduced the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act. If it were to become law, RAISE would cut legal immigration by 50 percent over the next ten years by reducing green cards for family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, slashing refugees, and […]
Why requiring Muslim visitors to register with Homeland Security is unjust
February 27, 2017 | Post
Throughout the presidential campaign, there was much talk of a Muslim registry. Fortunately, that seems to have fallen by the wayside since the election, and the Trump administration has been consistent, thus far, in denying it will pursue one. Still, we should remain vigilant about it because something similar is still on the table: a […]
The free society is an open society
February 25, 2017 | Post
A society can’t close itself off and remain free.
Obama’s cruel policy reversal on Cuban refugees
January 30, 2017 | Post
For some fifty years, the US has had a policy of welcoming refugees fleeing the brutal communist dictatorship in Cuba. In the 1990s, the policy was changed to “wetfoot, dryfoot,”under which Cubans who succeeded in reaching the United States would be allowed to stay, but those unfortunate enough to be caught at sea were barred. On […]
Trump’s ban on immigration from certain countries is illegal
December 19, 2016 | Post
For almost a decade, Congress debated creating an immigration system free from discrimination by nationality, country of birth, or country of residence. President-elect Trump, however, now proposes to discriminate unlawfully against certain foreign nationals on the basis of the same protected grounds without any legislation from Congress.
An economic analysis of protectionism clearly shows that Trump’s tariffs would make us poorer, not greater
December 17, 2016 | Post
Trump’s base will be hurt the most by his wealth-destroying and punitive trade policy.
Nativists created our immigration problems—they can’t fix them
November 25, 2016 | Post
Not only have their ideas failed on their terms, they have backfired, creating more lawlessness than before.
Trump’s real immigration policy
November 17, 2016 | Post
Although I’m looking for reasons to be optimistic and I’m hoping my predictions about Trump continue to be as wrong going forward as they have been up to this point, the weight of evidence convinces me that his immigration policies will likely be just as bad as many of us feared.
Senator Tom Cotton and Rep. Mike Pompeo spread four myths about immigration
October 14, 2016 | Post
If we believe in liberty for migrants as well as Americans, we must grant them liberty peacefully to travel the world unmolested and to settle wherever they find homes to rent and enterprises to work for.
The Immigration Debate, Explained with Kinder Surprise Chocolate Eggs
October 1, 2016 | Post
If you try to conflate morality and legality, you’re going to have a bad time.
From brain drain to skills-flow: How high-skilled immigrants makes us all better off
September 6, 2016 | Post
Emigration restrictions are guaranteed to injure the would-be emigrants in exchange for a very small positive effect on those who would not emigrate – if there is a positive effect at all. It’s a foolish policy that does more harm to more people than just letting skilled foreigners seek jobs where they are most highly valued.
Trump’s Plan to Deport 11 Million Immigrants Is Absolutely Terrifying, and This Is Why
May 23, 2016 | Post
In 1954, Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized Operation Wetback, a project that rounded up hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and deported them. Now policy leader Donald Trump is proposing that we do something similar—on a much larger scale. Think 11 million immigrants deported in two years. Now, many argue that if immigrants are coming to the […]
3 Myths About Immigrants You Probably Grew up Believing
May 21, 2016 | Post
There is perhaps no public policy issue that has more misinformation around it than immigration. Because immigrants (except for naturalized citizens) can’t vote, they make for a favorite political scapegoat for a stagnant economy, meager job creation, and slow wage growth. Immigrants and Economic Growth In the new Learn Liberty video below, Texas Tech Professor […]
On Cinco de Mayo, Let’s Dispel 3 Common Myths About Our Relationship with Mexico
May 5, 2016 | Post
Today is Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexico’s unlikely victory against its French occupiers in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The holiday is usually associated with festivities celebrating Mexico’s incredible culture. But numerous historians believe there’s an added reason to celebrate this day: If Mexico hadn’t won this battle, they argue, the […]
Discussion Question: Immigration
November 27, 2015 | Post
What might be reasons to restrict immigration to the United States? Can we justifiably refuse entry to immigrants on the fear that they will receive welfare but not work in return? Would that, then, justify kicking American citizens out of the country if they do not meet a certain standard? Give us your two cents […]
Libertarians Can’t Believe in Closed Borders
November 13, 2015 | Post
This piece by Christopher Freiman originally appeared in Bleeding Heart Libertarians on October 28th, 2015. Read an excerpt below but be sure to head over to BHL to read the whole thing. Patrick Lynch wrote an interesting and provocative piece the other day arguing that immigration restrictions are consistent with libertarianism. An earlier post of […]
My Path to Open Borders
October 15, 2015 | Post
This excellent post by Bryan Caplan, professor of economics at George Mason University, was originally featured at OpenBorders in January of 2013. Below is an excerpt. I changed my mind about proper immigration policy in my senior year of high school. The impetus, as usual for me, was not first-hand experience, but abstract argument. After […]