Borders

“[The migrant caravan] is a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system.”  – Jeff Sessions

“Make no mistake about it; These families – often women and small children – are victims. They’re victims of open border advocates who support and encourage them to take a long and dangerous trip.” – Mike Pence

This week the “migrant caravan” – a large group of families from Central American countries totaling roughly 1000 people – reached the US border to request entry. Fox News described this group as a migrant “army” that threatens our border, a sentiment that is clearly shared by the administration. What is not mentioned is that this is a yearly occurrence. A group of asylum seekers has come to the US border from Central America every spring since 2008, but in our current political environment this is suddenly a big deal, though in terms of immigration to the US, 1000 people is nothing. They come mostly from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and are seeking asylum from political violence in their countries. It is so violent in their own countries that they are willing to walk a hundreds miles, carrying kids and all their belongings, then live in a tent in Tijuana indefinitely, for the chance of making a new life in the US. They don’t try to sneak across the border, they walk right up to the border guard stations and report themselves and fill out the appropriate paperwork and wait. They travel in a large group for safety (consider what chance a small family with a few kids and carrying all their worldly belongings would have walking through Tijuana).

But either way, I don’t want to debate whether or not this group of migrants is a dangerous threat or a shining example. I have always believed that people should not take their instinctual, gut reactions to specific events and then extrapolate their worldview from those. Rather, they should come to an understanding of what their individual values are, and then consider specific events through that prism. So in approaching this particular question, I would want to consider whether or not migration is a “human right”.  There seems to be some weight behind the view that migration is in fact a human right on the liberal side. On the other hand, most conservatives would likely consider the perceived security implications to be much more important.

Historically, there is no basis for migration being a human right. It has never been considered so throughout human history, and in fact extending past that into pre-history. It has always been true that groups of people, whether clans, tribes, or nation-states, defend their territory and resources against incursions by other groups. The first duty of governments, has always been defense of the population; and this has always been taken to mean primarily defense of the borders. The majority of the time this means military defense against an attack, but there are also many examples of defense against migrating populations. Throughout history, the migration of a large group into the territory of another has always led to chaos, violence and upheaval, and usually to one group dominating the other. Strictly defined borders and international law may be modern concepts, but the defensive impulse against outsiders is instinctive. Even animals do it.

If there is no doubt that there is at least a correlation between large amounts of migration and large amounts of social and political instability, often leading to violence, there is also no doubt that the defense of a group’s territory against others has always been legitimate, and still is. It is a recognized right, by every international law, for a country to control its borders and the flow of people and things in and out. It is even recognized to be a moral right, even duty. Migrants may be in a horrible situation, they may be escaping violence and persecution themselves. They have no certainty of safety, or of basic needs, in even the very short term. But there is still nothing wrong with a government putting the concerns of its own people first. Helping migrants is a choice.

So, legally, the US has no duty to accept immigrants into the country or to ensure their well-being outside of the country. Any moral duty extends only to the point that we have the ability to help and may choose not to. So what’s the big deal if Americans want to get really strict about letting people into the country? In my view, it is more about the identity of America and Americans, rather than a responsibility to others. Part of the American identity, in the minds of Americans and others in the world, has been the image of something that stands apart. I’ve heard many conservatives on TV and in person talk about America as the “exceptional country”. This seems to be a test of patriotism, something that must be believed without question (and without definition). It is something that personally I do believe, ie that America is an exceptional place, but I do question what it is that makes the US exceptional.

It seems to me that conservatives (not to pick on one “side”, its just very noticeable) seem to view American exceptionalism extremely simply and one-dimensionally, as being based primarily on military strength. But to me, this is no exception at all. All countries are judged on military strength, we just have more of it. To me, America is exceptional because we have always chosen to do exceptional things. The exception for America, is that it has a moral duty with respect to the rest of the world. Many people may see this as a soft liberal idea…well, too bad. Our history shows that it has always been a source of strength. A large part of America’s identity throughout its history has been as the Land of Opportunity, the Beacon of Liberty, the Last Refuge of Freedom. It was a place that people in other countries looked to as an example. We have, in the past, chosen to do the things that other countries don’t do.

It is a legitimate choice for the US to “defend” its borders, to accept or turn away as many immigrants as we see fit, and it would be fully legal, moral, and justified in almost every way. But would it be right for us? Should we just do what every other country does? In my opinion, the only way for America to remain the “exceptional” country, is to make the choices, and accept the challenges, that are exceptional.

Tell me what you think.