Immigration: The Moral Imperative

Americans of European descent have a moral obligation to advocate for legal Mexican immigration because their ancestors once benefited from the same land, writes Conor Friedersdorf for The Atlantic. “You have a moral imperative to favor permitting lots of new immigrants to enter America legally, because at some point in the past, your ancestors arrived here from somewhere, and on doing so they imposed costs on the people already here. It is hardly fair, now that you’ve reaped the benefits of past immigration, to restrict others from doing the same,” says Friedersdorf. “Unless you’re a Native American, fairness would seem to demand that you don’t favor restrictionist immigration policies that would’ve prevented your ancestors’ arrival and your status as an American today.”