Should we have open borders?

[AgnosticBoy]

The issue of immigration is front and center once again due to the recent surge of migrants on our southern border. President Biden said that he would not allow unaccompanied minors to starve on the other side of the border. I assume that some of these kids will be released to families who can care for them instead of being held in overcrowded detention centers.

For the record, I define open borders as being a policy that does not criminalize border crossings. It allows migrants, especially unaccompanied minors, to cross our border and stay in the country.

What prompted me to start this conversation is that I have had this discussion many times at school, and some consider it racist to restrict poor migrants.

So with that said here are the debate questions:
1. Should we have open borders?

2. Is the Biden administration going to lead us to open borders?

 

[AgnosticBoy]

So with that said here are the debate questions:
1. Should we have open borders?

In my view, we should not have open borders. But I also believe that we should help the poor but not up to the point of allowing them into them into the country. The reason I say this is because we don't have the means to help every poor person. If we had the means to do so, then we would be able to demonstrate that by helping every poor person that's already in the country but yet we have not. If we can't handle the smaller scenarios (the poor in our own country), then why should I believe we can handle bigger scenarios (all of the world's poor crossing our border). When we can't handle the world's poor then what we'll find when we let them in is that they'll overwhelm our system and we see that with all of the unaccompanied minors that are caged or placed into box like structures in detention centers that are overcapacity.

I'd only be for open borders if we had the resources to provide for the world's poor, but as I laid out, we obviously don't. The best way to help the poor or unaccompanied minors then is not by letting them into the country, but to help them in their home countries.

2. Is the Biden administration going to lead us to open borders?

I don't accept that Biden is for open borders, but I do believe he is creating a bigger magnet (inadvertently) via his policies and that would draw more migrants. There may be other Democrats who are willing to decriminalize border crossings and allow migrants to stay in the country.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

One person says we should let all of the immigrants at the border in because they need help. In my view, that's an emotional and/or uncritical answer. I would say such a big decision deserves more thought in terms of national security (how are we vetting the migrants), in terms of economy (do we have the resources to house and provide for migrants? If so how much per year?). When big decisions are done with little to no critical thought, then that can lead to devastating consequences. To solve immigration, we need to have a heart, but also use our brains.