For immediate release
July 8, 2014
Libertarians say: Let the immigrant
children in
In response to recent media reports about the increase in Latin American
children seeking entry into the United States, Libertarian Party Chair Nicholas
Sarwark released this statement:
Should
the U.S. government forbid foreign children from entering the United States?
The Libertarian Party says no.
It would be unjust and inhumane for the U.S. government to prohibit these
children from entering the United States.
A great irony is that U.S. government policies have caused the conditions
that some of these Central American children are fleeing. The War on Drugs has
created a huge black market in Latin America, causing increases in gang
activity and violent crime. Some of the affected children naturally try to flee
this violence. It is wrong to jeer at them, call them "illegals," and
tell them to get out.
Many of these children are hoping to reach friends and relatives in the
United States. A freer, simpler legal immigration process might result in a
safer journey with more adult supervision along the way. In any case,
Libertarians support maximizing freedom knowing that risks, including risks to
children, are always involved. In some cases, children may be better off
migrating, even without adult supervision, than staying trapped in dangerous
environments — just ask the Jewish children who escaped from Hitler, or Tutsi
children who escaped genocide in Rwanda.
Libertarians do not support forcing people to pay for other children's
welfare, and there are obviously costs associated with helping children who
arrive in the United States. However, there are many charitable organizations
that have already mobilized to provide that help. A nation of 320 million
people can provide sufficient charitable help to the number of children
involved (around 50,000 over the last nine months). And if we'd just end the
War on Drugs, the number of refugee children would be much lower.
Ultimately, the fact that many of these children are fleeing dangerous situations
isn't the issue. Even if they were coming to the United States for fun, we
should still allow them to enter. All foreigners should be allowed entry into
the United States unless the government can produce positive evidence that they
pose a threat to security, health, or property.
Our bad immigration laws affect a lot more people than just these children.
Many foreigners want to come work in the United States, which benefits them as
well as Americans. However, our government makes it impossible for almost all
of them to work here legally.
The Libertarian Party believes that the U.S. government should not prohibit
Americans from hiring foreign workers. There are about 60 million legal foreign
entries into the United States each year (mostly tourists). Those foreigners
should be free to work in the United States as well. There's no question of
border security — it's just a question of the government's unjust and foolish
protectionist labor laws.
(By comparison, there are only about 500,000 "illegal" entries
into the United States each year. Most of those are foreigners who want to work
in the United States, and who would be denied visas because of that intention.)
Some observers have noted that generous benefit and subsidy programs in the
United States, including free education and health care, may be attracting lazy
foreigners. The Libertarian Party supports the abolition of government benefits
and subsidies, for both natives and foreigners. It's worth pointing out that
foreigners use these programs at a lower rate than natives,
according
to a recent report by the Cato Institute.
It's a shame that many in the media are trying to make Americans feel fear
and suspicion toward immigrants. It's particularly disgusting that protesters
would yell at children to make their political point. Immigration is good for
foreigners and good for Americans, and we need to change our laws to make
immigration much easier.
The
Libertarian
Party Platform says the following about the freedom of trade and migration:
3.4 Free Trade and Migration
We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political
freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably
constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic
freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital
across national borders. However, we support control over the entry into our
country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or
property.
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