Onkar Ghate and Agustina Vergara Cid discuss the immigration debate from a philosophical perspective. They address questions such as whether foreigners have a right to immigrate to America, whether immigration or its curtailment violates the rights of American citizens, and what role government has in relation to immigration.
Topics covered:
- Whether immigrants have a right to move to America;
- The argument that immigration violates American citizens’ rights;
- What is motivating the objection that immigrants allegedly take jobs from Americans or lower their standard of living;
- What is the proper role of government in relation to immigration policy;
- Whether failure to enforce immigration laws undermines the rule of law;
- Illegal immigration as a response to unjust laws;
- Why immigrants seeking a better life shouldn’t be smeared as “illegals”;
- Why the objection that immigration is destroying American culture is invalid;
- Ideological screening as a major threat to intellectual freedom;
- Ayn Rand’s views on immigration as flowing from her view of self-interest;
- What immigration would look like in a free society.