FACT: Immigration Is About The Law, Not Justice

Immigration is a contentious issue, not just in the United States but throughout the Western world. Immigration is a central theme of Hungarian President Viktor Orban's re-election campaign. Immigration is a major divide within the American polity, with states such as Texas and Arizona enthusiastically supporting President Trump's call for National Guard troops to protect the US border with Mexico, while states such as California applaud the efforts of state and local officials to thwart enforcement and deportation actions by ICE.

Amazingly, despite all the rhetoric coming from all sides of the immigration debate, very little attention is given to what should be the core of the debate--the state of immigration law.  More than any other public policy question, immigration is almost exclusively a matter of law, of what the law is, and what the law should be.

What the law is:

• Article I, Section 8, Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the United States Constitution explicitly charges the Congress with drafting immigration laws.

• The body of US Immigration Law is codefied under Title 8, Chapter 12 of the US Code.

• Every President, upon inauguration, swears an oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States", as mandated in Article 2 Section 1 of the Constitution. Every President is explicitly named as Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces in Article 2 Section 2.

• The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. Article 6 of the Constitution makes this explicit, and explicitly binds all public officials to respect that supremacy.

Americans can--and should--debate what the substance of immigration law should be. That is our right and our duty as citizens.  Yet it is absurd and even asinine to ignore or deny what the substance of immigration law is. 8 USC §1151 establishes explicit numerical limits on immigration. 8 USC §1182(f) specifically empowers the President to bar certain classes of aliens "by proclamation" (meaning no Congressional involvement is required or even allowed). Whether these laws are good or bad, wise or unwise, just or unjust is immaterial. These are the laws we have. These are the laws government officials take an oath to enforce. On this point there can be no debate, there is no argument.

Nor can there be any debate that every US President has the right and responsibility to secure the borders of the United States. Every President is duty bound from his oath to defend the Constitution, and that necessarily includes defending the territory of the United States. Every President is explicitly named as Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces in order to secure that defense.

No immigrant has any right or expectation of admission into the United States. 8 USC §1361 explicitly assigns to the immigrant the burden of proving he or she is eligible for admission. Lacking such proof, the mandate of the law is that said immigrant be denied entry into the United States. Congress has the power to alter that mandate, but thus far it has declined to do so.

No immigrant can simply cross the border into the United States, but must enter through established checkpoints. 8 USC §1325 makes it a crime to enter the United States but through established checkpoints. 8 USC §1326 enhances the sanctions for repeat violations of this statute. Congress can alter these statutes but thus far has declined to do so.

Laws can be changed. Where laws are seen as unjust one hopes they will be changed. Yet until they are changed, the laws on the books are the laws of this land, and, as such, they must be enforced. If we are to remain a nation of laws, these laws must be enforced until they are changed.

On this, there can be no debate.