Before our polyglot world of mass movement and mass immigration, what we know as pop culture didn’t exist.
With a few exceptions noted above, none of the rights protected by the Constitution are limited to citizens. And none include a blanket exception for immigration cases.
How do those who take individual rights seriously address the argument that immigration restrictions are justified as a means of securing liberal institutions?
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 […]
This past Monday, President Trump released a new executive order shutting down the refugee program for 120 days and banning immigration from six majority-Muslim countries for 90 days. President Trump attempted to justify these changes by stating in part that: The Attorney General has reported to me that more than 300 persons who entered the […]
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 […]
Birthright citizenship aids both the assimilation and acceptance of immigrants and is largely responsible for our successful history of economic and cultural integration.
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 […]
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 […]
The state’s comprise the federal government; not the other way around.
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 […]
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 […]
A society can’t close itself off and remain free.
Capitalism—stronger than any border wall or immigration ban—remains a resilient and deeply American system.
The idea is wrongheaded on both counts: they would harm citizens of the US as well as those of Latin America.
I was initially excited to see that progressive Dean Baker has written a piece on “Eight Market-Oriented Proposals That Reduce Income Inequality” for AEI. It begins promisingly by criticizing overly strict occupational licensing for high-skilled workers. But it then studiously avoids the really big wins. Namely: 1. Immigration. High-skilled immigration reduces conventionally measured inequality by […]
During his inaugural address, Donald Trump vowed to “completely eradicate” radical Islamic terrorism. Today, in its first moves intended to do that, the administration acknowledged its plans for a complete ban on immigrants and refugees from several majority Muslim countries.
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 executive order is exactly the kind of high-handed coercion of states that outraged conservatives under Obama.
Donald Trump is president. Here are his six biggest threats to liberty.
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, bright and cheery, In the penthouse of my tower on the fifty-seventh floor — While I sat there, Donald Trumping, suddenly there came a thumping, As of someone gently bumping, bumping up against my door. “’Tis some immigrant,” I muttered, “coming in to clean the floor — […]
For 50 years, America has offered an escape hatch for victims of the Castro regime; now President Obama is slamming it shut.
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.
Not only have their ideas failed on their terms, they have backfired, creating more lawlessness than before.