Are Libertarians Wrong to Favor Open Immigration?

Like most libertarians, The Brownstone Institute's Jeff Tucker has long been a proponent of open borders. So have I. But we both feel that events of the past few years require a more thoughtful response than the standard anti-state-border rhetoric. Including, perhaps, admissions that we've been wrong all along.

Have we?

Jeff and I explore some of the complexities of the current crisis along the southern border of the US, the Texas standoff, and immigration more generally. What's happening at the border goes well beyond what we generally think of as "immigration", and Jeff and I talk about what's behind that, and the ways in which immigrants are being used to further political agendas and disrupt the democratic process. We also talk about ways in which the post-9-11 tightening of immigration restrictions have exacerbated the problem.

I talk a little about my experience living in Japan – a country with strict immigration controls, and a strong, cohesive culture that I don't think many Americans can relate to. And as much as government management of immigration has created problems and allowed for immigration to be weaponized, it's not entirely clear that a stateless society would have the ability to produce or protect cultural cohesion in this way. (Although, to be fair, in most of the world, the state fails at this too.)

SPOILER: We don't come away with any answers. But we both agree that these are questions that need to be wrestled with, and we will continue to wrestle.

Related: My recent conversation with Bob Murphy has some insights on the stateless society that are relevant to this conversation.