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Why Have Immigration Laws?

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Summary

Federal law places limits on immigration. What for? After all, there are those who advocate the free flow of people across borders, allowing unlimited immigration into the United States. This week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy addresses the reasons for immigration laws.

Kent Lundgren, a retired career Border Patrol officer and a member of the Center’s board of directors, explains that immigration rules exist to protect Americans and legal immigrants. Lundgren breaks down the areas to be protected into four categories: public health, public safety, national security, and jobs and wages. An enforced border is necessary to secure these four necessities of life for those living legally in the United States.

“Countries have borders, and unless those borders have rules for people who want to come in and who do come in, then the border is meaningless and the country dissolves”, said Lundgren.

In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, the host of Parsing Immigration Policy and the Center’s executive director, highlights a report on Biden administration plans to give identification cards to illegal border-crossers who have been released into the United States. Krikorian calls this “documenting the undocumented”, and an incremental step towards amnesty for illegal aliens.

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Kent Lundgren is a retired Border Patrol officer and member of the Center for Immigration Studies Board of Directors.

Related

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Border Conveyor Belt Continues

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Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

  • Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
  • Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
  • President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
  • Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
  • Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
  • Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
  • Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
  • Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
  • Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
  • Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
Host:
Mark Krikorian
Guest:
KLKent Lundgren