President Biden is facing pressure during an influx of immigrants at the border. Democrats are pushing for him to repeal Title 42, and many conservatives and moderates want it to stay in place.
Once again, establishment politicians have failed to honor their commitments- hardly a surprise. One of President Biden’s campaign points was to repeal Trump-era immigration policies which prevent migrants from moving to America and working an honest living.
Biden currently faces a choice; deciding how to move forward given his terrible popularity ratings. Will he choose the politically unpopular but correct choice to loosen border restrictions, or not?
As I wrote in a previous piece, traditional open immigration laws are morally just and economically beneficial in nearly every way. The current buildup at the border is not the result of illegal immigration, but of oppressive migration prevention. This creates a powerful illusion and sense of fear among those already living state-side, since the vast migrant camps evoke an image of enemy hordes.
This is a sad mistake. This rhetoric (primarily found on the conservative side of the aisle) leads even moderates to condemn largely peaceful and productive immigrant families and young people as “invaders.”
In many ways, these immigrants hold traditional American values such as family, hard work and independence more than the young, wealthy entitled members of modern America. The political polarization of the day has blinded many conservatives to fear the “other,” even when their values may not be so different.
President Biden faces a difficult choice, and he can’t afford many more blows to his reputation in the current political climate. Will he make the unpopular (but correct) choice to allow peaceful immigration, or will he prioritize political gains? Unfortunately, the reputation of establishment politicians such as Joe Biden is not encouraging.
During most of American history we have welcomed immigrants who are willing to work and provide for themselves. Only since the World Wars have we begun seriously restricting the right of freedom of movement. If modern America can understand the same truths of freedom and rational economics that they did, we may yet be able to regain the reputation of the melting pot of the world.
