migration restriction and the arrest of activists

One of the biggest lessons I got from hearing Shikha Dalmia speak at the 2018 Open Borders conference was that migration restriction violates the rights of people in the host nation. Want to hire Juan from Mexico City? You can’t. Want Juan to be a guest in your home? You can’t. Basically, the restriction of migration entails the violation of the freedom of assembly and commerce that most of us enjoy.

I also appreciate that migration restriction also harms people who advocate on behalf of migrants. WHYY, the NPR station in Philadelphia, reported on the arrest of Nancy Nguyen at her home after she protested in front of the home of a border control official. The charge? Trespassing and littering (!), because she placed some signs on the man’s lawn. In my view, this is obvious over-reach by law enforcement.

Let me add an extra note here. I think it is correct to presume that a public official should be able to spend time at home without a crowd on their lawn. But doesn’t that standard also apply to people from other cities or countries who just want to live in peace in a new place? In other words, if you think that people should be able to be at home without harassment, doesn’t it also apply to me if I want to hire or marry a person from a different country? Why shouldn’t me and my friends from other nations be left alone?

My hope is that authorities drop these charges and people can focus on the bigger issue – there is a very large and very punitive system that makes life miserable for millions of peaceful immigrants.

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