More Misinformation from the Media:
Migration is a human right. A person anywhere in the world has the right to migrate, just as there is free speech and free association. In fact, most other rights follow from the right to migrate. If governments are allowed to lock up people behind walls, then it’s only a matter of time before other rights will dissipate, too. If we do not recognize migration as an inviolable human right, and if we do not give up the idea of the wall, we are bound to lose human rights for all of us. [Link]
American citizenship, by having become associated with the hypernationalist project, will at first look enviable and untouchable, but ultimately will be cheapened as to be worth nothing. For the courts, as they face Trump’s assault, the challenge is clear: Do away with the plenary power doctrine and extend full constitutional rights to immigrants. Rights should depend on personhood not citizenship. . . . – Everyone’s Wrong on Immigration: Open Borders Are the Only Way to Defeat Trump and Build a Better World, Anis Shivani, Salon, 3/15/17
Fact Check: Anyone can claim anything is a human right. And diverse peoples have very diverse ideas as to what rights humans should possess. For a traditional American they are the rights embodied in our Constitution; for a devout Muslim the values embodied by Sharia Law. In either case, rights have no force or meaning unless codified into law upheld by a government.
Thus it is pointless to talk about rights without reference to the laws and values of different countries. In the United States, we believe that citizens have the right to decide what kind of society they want to have. And so they can decide whom to admit and whom to exclude. In effect, America is the private property of Americans, and property—in our American view—is a fundamental human right.
If Shivani thinks that migration is an “inviolable human right” would he be willing to allow migrants without limits to settle on his property and use his possessions? That’s basically what he’s asking America as a country to do.
The key issue is the rights of citizens. And Shivani understands this principle perfectly well, which is why he hopes to cheapen citizenship “as to be worth nothing.” He proposes to extend constitutional rights to everyone in the world. But the Constitution wasn’t intended for everyone. As its Preamble states, it is a document primarily upholding the laws and liberties of “We the People of the United States.” Constitutional rights extended outside this mooring and context, have no force or meaning.
The “right” of mass migration to the United States will not—in the long run—result in more freedom for anyone, native or immigrant. The chaos of clashing cultures and conceptions or rights will tear our society apart, unless an authoritarian government steps in to hold it together. This indeed is why many left-wing extremists push immigration. They see a chaotic society as opportunity to seize power.
Shivani may not be one of them, but it is clear that he is not a loyal American. Making our citizenship meaningless makes our country meaningless. Nevertheless, Shivani deserves credit for at least being honest enough to state clearly what he believes. A lot of immigration advocates seem to believe the same thing, but they hide their beliefs as a means to advance them.