The Libertarian Party has a great article on immigration - you can find it here. One interesting aspect of the discussion is the one that centers on the idea that our laws in America have sometimes changed - the example given is how Prohibition was law until it was repealed. Here is a clip from the piece:
I say all of this to simply caution us from relying on civil law when we interpret events in our world. Many who argue for enforcing immigration law might advocate for overturning abortion laws in the US based on what they might consider a higher moral law. Some feel the same way about immigrants that break US law when they cross our borders."When large numbers of otherwise decent people routinely violate a law, the law itself is probably the problem. To argue that illegal immigration is bad merely because it is illegal avoids the threshold question of whether we should prohibit this kind of immigration in the first place.
We've faced this choice on immigration before. In the early 1950s, federal agents were making a million arrests a year along the Mexican border. In response, Congress ramped up enforcement, but it also dramatically increased the number of visas available through the Bracero guest worker program. As a result, apprehensions at the border dropped 95 percent. By changing the law, we transformed an illegal inflow of workers into a legal flow."
So, in the end, I think my allegiance is first and foremost to the moral law of love. The Ten Commandments are rooted in this law and the Golden Rule speaks it concisely. Every other law can change but this one law will always be true.
I agree we should not see the civil law as the ultimate standard. Most immigrants simply come here looking for a better life. We may not be able to take in all who want to come. But we ought to ask what we can do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that Mike.
DeleteBob, what would be your solution to immigration?
ReplyDeleteI think that immigration is a very complex issue Wanda. I think that a good solution will include border protection, going after companies/people that hire people who are here illegally and a change in our work visa policy. Of course the real solution is not here but in Mexico. No one is concerned about our northern borders.
DeleteBob, Wanda, I think the way to stop immigrants from coming from Mexico without proper visas would a two pronged approach. First Americans must stop buying illegal drugs grown in Latin America. As long as Americans finance the Drug Lords the Mexican economy will be in chaos, partly due to the increasing extortion on middle class business owner and the cruise lines not going to vulnerable cities like Mazatlan. My opinion is that the US has a moral obligation to control its own citizens' illegal activities equal to controlling immigration. As Bob mentioned, if America companies and individuals were also punished severely for hiring the undocumented immigrants along with the being punished severely for buying drugs, the reasons that people cross the border illegally would essentially disappear. The situation would be more jobs in Mexico and no jobs in US. Sounds simple to me!
ReplyDeleteGood points John. I view the drug industry separately from people coming here illegally to support their families. I think that our response to people trying to support their families has to be tempered with compassion and kindness.
DeleteAnd I do see the connection between the chaos in Mexico and the US drug dollars that make the cartels rich. It is a problem that will require better cooperation between the US and Mexico.
Immigration is a very difficult issue and we may never see it resolved to the satisfaction of most of us.
Thanks for your thoughtful and informative answers, Bob and jdh.
ReplyDelete