I often find myself bewildered when I encounter people who claim to be libertarians or conservatives who have taken a nativist stand on immigration. Typically I encounter this in people from the far right of the Republican party or from supporters of Ron Paul and in the context of the presidential candidacy of John McCain. They usually come up with a statement which starts "I could vote for McCain, but..." and follow with the unforgivable crime which McCain has committed. Over half the time that crime is his endorsement of 'amnesty' for illegal aliens in the failed 2007 immigration reform bill.
That's when I start scratching my head and wondering what kind of brainworms these self-proclaimed conservatives and libertarians are infested with. Putting aside the fact that the immigration bill contained no measures which more than vaguely resembled amnesty, what mystifies me is how they can call themselves conservatives or libertarians and still hold a nativist position on immigration.
For a start, the nativist anti-immigration position has always been a policy of the political left, from northeastern Democrats with a racist fear of 'foreign wretches' to pro-labor socialists who see immigration as a threat to the welfare of American workers. Nativism makes some sense for the political left. It goes hand in hand with their protectionist stand on labor and industry. It makes no sense at all for a right wing which is supposed to be capitalist and pro-business, in favor of free trade, free labor, and keeping wages and inflation low.
Republican Immigration Policy
From its very start the Republican Party has been pro-immigration and the fact that some Republican politicians like Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are now building their careers on an exclusionary policy on immigration is a sign of how far the party has strayed from its roots. One of the cornerstones of the party when it was founded was the idea of 'free labor', applying both to slaves and immigrants. The party platform of 1860 said that the party "is opposed to any change in our Naturalization Laws or any State legislation by which the rights of our citizenship hitherto accorded to immigrants from foreign lands shall be abridged or impaired; and in favor of giving a full and efficient protection to the rights of all classes of citizens, whether native or naturalized, both at home and abroad." That's an extremely liberal position on immigration, suggesting that the rights of citizenship in the United States are inherent to anyone in the world.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - JP
Whats your point? The Democrat party used to be the warmongering party. No one can tell the two parties apart anymore. This may be another exmaple. I, for one, as a Ron Paul supporter do not support McCain for numerous reasons and his pro-illegal immigrant stance is a big one. Why? Because it flagrantly undermines the rule of law. Giving people that broke the law from the moment they stepped into this country a "free ride" at my tax dollar expense is not what I want a president to do. What about all the people who follow the law and become legal residents or even citizens? This undermines the very basis of "Bring us your poor, huddled masses" because it implies following the immigration laws. Want to live here? Great! We will welcome you IF you follow immigration law, don't commit crimes (which is a growing problem within the illegal communities), pay taxes and assimilate into the American culture. The illegals do NONE of this. And McCain wants to reward them? Pssh. He can go kick rocks if he thinks Ill vote for him.
2 - Joseph
The Republicans would have more success if they tried to fix immigration in two part. First they should tripple immigration quotas from each country. This is a policy no one can argue against without showing their nativist motives. Increasing legal immigration would reduce demand for illegal routes. Then the Republicans could figure out a fair way to address illegal immigration.
3 - kris
Quite simply, we are aware of the severe economic drain all this ILLEGAL immigration is causing. WE CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY AND THE ECONOMY IS ONE AREA THAT IS ABOUT TO DESTROY US. The millions of illegals in this country are guaranteed money, food, housing, education, and health care, all at the taxpayer expense. What about my own damn family? I'm tired of paying for criminals to have benefits that my own family is not entitled to. Contrary to popular belief, the U.S.A. is not a bottomless pit of money, able to take care of everyone in the world who wants to sponge off the hardworking taxpayers. Even America has it's limits.
It's called "ILLEGAL" for a reason, btw. Additionally, there is absolutely NO REASON why Americans should pardon the illegals for their crime of jumping the line ahead of people who have been waiting years to come to this country legally. Why should criminals be rewarded for their criminal acts? It's not fair to the people who have been going through the proper channels.
4 - Brittanicus
Both Obama and McCain should understand the dire financial consequences, of leaving the AMNESTY door wide open. Instead of appeasing the pro-illegal immigration entities, along with the big business cartels, the church, and the special interest lobby, may be they should take it under advisement who pays for the low wage illegal foreign nationals, when they need medical care.
Who has been forced by misinterpretation of our laws by liberal judges, that we must educate the children of illegal aliens, and the automatic citizenship of whatever child is born here? Who pays for the welfare, the prisons and hundreds of hidden underground programs that citizens and legal residence are unaware of ...TAXPAYERS!
Some eye-opening, disturbing evidence that the national media won't tell you.
Read about costs the US government keeps under wraps.
This doesn't include education, free health care or prison services and much more not listed. Find that disturbing report here.
Read about one committees free health care research.
Then go here to fight back: We must demand the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) that Democrats refuse to give us. NUMBERSUSA for unsuppressed facts!
5 - Jordan Richardson
Kris,
Kinda curious, are you as pissed off when your money goes to corporate buyouts, wars, and CEOs that have benefits you and your family will never see?
What immigrant is guaranteed anything, anyway?
I'm not suggesting that illegal immigration isn't a problem for you guys south of the border, but it's probably the lesser of several evils in terms of what's actually plaguing the economy. Fact is, it's the evil most Americans are likely to despise. Nobody likes uninvited guests...
6 - Westmiller
As is evident from the comments, the argument against immigration (among some) is that it will make another policy (welfare) outcome worse. To my mind, that's a benefit, not a deficiency ... the welfare state needs to drown.
But, the anti-welfare position is nonsensical, because illegal immigrants *must* pay all payroll and income taxes, usually under a *fake* SSN. Each year, the IRS gets over $3 billion in taxes from invalid SSN payments.
Your argument (and my observations) are mainly pragmatic. In *principle*, every person has the right to freedom of travel, provided they don't violate private property by trespass or theft.
The "rule of law" argument is also bunk. It just says: I like this terrible law; don't change it, just enforce it. That's about as unprincipled as one can get.
7 - Dave Nalle
Good to see you on here, Bill. I think that the first few comments fall exactly into the chimerical model I was talking about in the article, where they profess a belief in liberty, but draw the lines at our border. Just doesn't make sense to me as a libertarian or a liberty minded Republican.
The law issue is also one I always bump heads with conservatives over. There's no way to enforce a bad law with good results. That's what we see happening in the disastrous Drug War. So long as the policy is based on a flawed premise you're never going to get good results, and the more vigorously you enforce a bad law the worse you make things.
Until, as you point out with welfare, the system crashes under the strain. But it sure would be nice to have some responsible leadership to step in and stop the madness before we face actual disaster.
Dave
8 - Mooja
The legal aspect of handing out mass amnesty to illegals is the kicker for me. You don't choose to ignore the bad laws and respect the good ones. A law is a law. I'd be more than willing to revist/revise the numerous immigration law issues. But where I come from you don't reward criminals and you don't make fools out of other folks honestly abiding by the rules.
9 - Dr Dreadful
Lots of huffing and puffing from the Paulbots about the holy Rule Of Law and hurrying to point out that Illegal Immigration Is Illegal.
One thing no-one (except Mooja above, who touches on it) seems to stop to wonder is: why is it illegal?
What about the current immigration laws is different from those on the statute books during the last great influx of immigrants in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century? And why were the laws changed and tightened (if they were)?
Inquiring Minds Want To Know.
10 - shadetree
No problem at all with LEGAL immigration.
It is ILLEGAL immigration and its accompanying unchecked crime and disease that are not welcome.
11 - Clavos
Doc,
I believe there were few to no immigration laws during the big influx of the last half of the 19th, first quarter of the 20th centuries.
Basically, if you were breathing and disease free, you were admitted.
No quotas.
Also, no welfare; schooling wasn't an issue, few people went beyond grade school. Practically no medical care, except in the big cities. Most of the issues that piss nativists off today didn't even exist back then.
We had a huge amount of territory to colonize and exploit; bodies to do the work were welcome.
We ought to give the statue of liberty back to the French; we don't need it anymore.
12 - STM
What's really weird about the position Dave writes of here is that the entire modern United States was built on immigration.
Ah, but all those immigrants weren't swarthy-skinned hispanics, were they?
And therein lies the true root of this anti-immigration anxiety. Old attitudes die hard, remember.
13 - Cindy D
We don't need any more brown people coming across the border to steal our jobs (as fruit pickers). They don't even look like Americans! We know what Americans look like. Don't you remember The Donna Reed Show, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver? THAT is what Americans look like. Did you ever hear Mexican music playing in the background on Lassie? I have nothing against brown people personally (as long as they talk and act like Bill Cosby). And I don't mind if aliens, I mean immigrants, come here legally--as long as they are willing to assimilate and speak English (so at least I can tell if they're planning to jump me when I walk by).
14 - DND
Maybe you are right. Maybe the Republican Party is the party of open borders. That's why people like I and millions of other who have always voted Republican will not this November and the Republican Party will lose. Good riddance. With 'conservatives' like Bush and McCain who needs leftists?
15 - Andy Marsh
I think my issue is the cost. Who's paying all the medical bills for illegal immigrants? Who's paying their share of the taxes that go to the schools and the roads and all the other infrastructure?
Many illegals don't pay taxes, at least not payroll or property taxes. Many illegals use forged documentation to get some of those benefits I listed earlier. What's fair about that? Are they paying into SS and will they expect SS entitlements when the time comes?
Cheap labor is a great thing, but cheap labor comes with it's own set of problems and those that hire the cheap labor aren't willing to take care of those problems, they expect everyone else to do it.
The problem is that we've become a nation of entitlements and I for one am tired of paying for everyone else's entitlements no matter where the person getting them is from or came from, but that's just me.
16 - NH
OH Please. How do you have a country if you have no borders?
What makes us any different than the one below or above us if we don't have a defined country with our own form of government?
You must be one of those one worlder utopians. Well libertopians are no better than one worlders...
17 - Dr Dreadful
Andy,
There are plenty of US citizens who don't pay taxes either.
And take it from me, plenty of illegal aliens do pay taxes. That's the whole point of the forged documents.
18 - Travis
Just real quick: I don't think you understand the conservative position completely. A proper conservative is against any form of amnesty because it is a reward to those who came to America illegally and harms those trying to do it the honest way.
A proper conservative position should be pro-immigration but anti-illegal immigration.
A proper conservative position should open up workers visas and be very open to all walks of life wishing to come to America. However we have every right to know who enters this country. To know why people are entering the country, and to know how many are entering the country. An open border policy on the south does not work for that any more.
Please think about those things and maybe write another article.
You might also want to examine Ron Paul's position on the issue better.
However you are right about the historical Left .. my how times have changed. However protectionism is not new to the Republican party either. One word .. Lincoln.
19 - American Insurgent
This is preposterous discussion. It is the theatre of the obsurd. Im no tight assed stiff Republican by any stretch. But you cannot have one law for them and another one for us. If we dont control immigration, then you cant control whether I take a gun into a bank and make a withdrawl. End of story. It is essentially the same thing but instead they come walking up and say como estas? donde easta la trabajo? Ah muy bien, la papels no problema aqui? More than anything I hate centralized government, after all, THATS WHAT REPUBLICAN stands for. Ron Paul is and was the only REPUBLICAN in the race. That Neo Con McVain would say and do anything to get into office. And his stance on this is the height of hypocracy.
20 - Chris Bieber
why o why hasnt the ususal cast of characters on this blog thrown down the usual final solution...
National Identity Cards for ALL people trapped here....
itl solve things and make government schooling and housing and health care and DHS federal law enforcement at the local levels more "efficient".
and the old flag waving "Ive got nothing to hide and I dont fear government or MY government!"....
still waiting...
and the shrill epithet "nativist"...as opposed to a Obama and W like "global citizen"???
you anti"nativists"?? want to be patriotic and have a strong Central Govt....make those "conservative" FedGov unConstitutional monstrosities efficient and costeffective...and who cares about topdown imposed cultural and socialist LEGAL integration...
we little L libertarians are NOT anarchists...
so stop the amatuer inference hurling.....
still waiting....
21 - Dave Nalle
Well, well. Lots of empty rhetoric being thrown around here.
Where, in this article, did I endorse open borders or amnesty of any kind?
I merely pointed out that libertarians have favored the one and that Reagan signed off on the other.
What I favor and what rational Republicans ought to favor, is a strong program of LEGAL immigration so that it would not be necessary for people to immigrate illegally. Offer lots and lots of guest worker visas - most illegals don't want to stay here permanently anyway. That's the solution, and that's what the so-called 'amnesty' bill did (though not enough visas IMO).
Dave
22 - WK
Simple solution...replace ALL income taxes with consumption taxes. Come on in, work all you want, respect your new country and its people, and be responsible for your actions. If you eat, sleep, drink, drive (not at the same time), or blow your money on lottery tickets, your admission is paid. Multiply and prosper!! It would also be prudent to learn the new language...it tends to enhance your prosperity, where ever you roam. That's Libertarian enough, right? I haven't read too much here about the responsibility and accountability that go along with Libertarian freedom. "Carry your own weight"....I'm not yo' daddy.
23 - Dr Dale
Once again, the people with the least knowledge of an issue want to act like the authority of it. Let me explain from first hand experience and then you can make an informed conclusion.
First, my wife is a recent Legal immigrant to the U.S. and we had to pay the thousands of dollars in legal advice and services and immigration fees. No she's not from south of the border otherwise I would have brought her through Juarez Mexico.
She had to go through the medical screenings, document (collections, translations, notaries, and certifications), Official interviews, and police, FBI, and customs back ground checks, (homeland security is not timely or efficient). I had to give my tax records, police clearance, proof of income, divorce papers, proof of citizenship, etc. and that's not all of it. Then we had to wait several months for approval.
That was for a ninety day fiancee visa. If we did not get married within the ninety days she would have to go back home and we would have to start the process all over again and pay the same fees again if we decided to get married at a later date.
So the question is, Why do I, as a U.S. Citizen, have to pay all this money and spend all this time and effort to bring a foreign born fiancee to the U.S. when millions are walking in for free?
Secondly, being a doctor I have had first hand experience with illegals driving cars without licenses, insurance, or registrations, and injuring my patients in accidents then jumping out of the cars and running on foot. My patient's end up paying an increase in insurance premiums, repairs to their vehicles, and all of their own medical expenses, not to mention loss time at work.
And if the illegals are injured they will go to the emergency room and get treatment, give false information and never pay their bills. So the hospital is not getting paid so they raise their rates to combat the incurred losses. This raises health care costs and lowers our insurance coverage.
So the question simply is, how is this cheap labor benefiting anyone but the employer who is hiring these people? The rest of us are making up for the low wages when we have to pay more for everything especially taxes.
I'm a conservative libertarian constitutionalists that believes what is required of one is required of all.
So my solution is a simple one that will work immediately. Just like a DUI fine and imprisonment! Give the employers, managers, or anyone else that hires illegals a million dollar fine and a year in jail for each illegal employee that gets caught, given a police record, and deported. That should stop the illegal hiring practices at once. No jobs, No illegals.
24 - troll
Dave gets it right in this one - as he points out: prosperity under capitalism depends on the existence of a 'lumpen proletariat' characterized by economic desperation
25 - Polemicscat
#19 I agree with what you say and would add this:
The reasons those in government have created this problem of millions of illegal aliens is that they want (1) cheap labor (at workers expense) and more customers at Wal-Mart(2) a greater number of people depending on government handouts---politicians LOVE having people depending on them. But there is NO problem that the US has or the world has that will be helped by more people. All six billion (and counting) wanting to drive SUVs and Hummers---other species on earth be damned!