Libertarian Party: War on Drugs Causing Mass Illegal Immigration

The Libertarian Party responded to the border crisis in an official statement today, saying the problem is not the flood of people coming across the southern boundary but the war on drugs.

“Should the U.S. government forbid foreign children from entering the United States? The Libertarian Party says no,” Libertarian Party chairman Nicholas Sarwark said in a statement. “It would be unjust and inhumane for the U.S. government to prohibit these children from entering the United States.”

“A great irony is that U.S. government policies have caused the conditions that some of these Central American children are fleeing. The War on Drugs has created a huge black market in Latin America, causing increases in gang activity and violent crime. Some of the affected children naturally try to flee this violence. It is wrong to jeer at them, call them ‘illegals,’ and tell them to get out,” Sarwark continued.

“Many of these children are hoping to reach friends and relatives in the United States. A freer, simpler legal immigration process might result in a safer journey with more adult supervision along the way. In any case, Libertarians support maximizing freedom knowing that risks, including risks to children, are always involved. In some cases, children may be better off migrating, even without adult supervision, than staying trapped in dangerous environments — just ask the Jewish children who escaped from Hitler, or Tutsi children who escaped genocide in Rwanda.”

The party platform stresses that “political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries,” but the party backs “control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or property.”

“Libertarians do not support forcing people to pay for other children’s welfare, and there are obviously costs associated with helping children who arrive in the United States. However, there are many charitable organizations that have already mobilized to provide that help. A nation of 320 million people can provide sufficient charitable help to the number of children involved (around 50,000 over the last nine months). And if we’d just end the War on Drugs, the number of refugee children would be much lower,” Sarwark said.

The chairman stressed that “our bad immigration laws affect a lot more people than just these children.”

“Many foreigners want to come work in the United States, which benefits them as well as Americans. However, our government makes it impossible for almost all of them to work here legally,” he said.

“Some observers have noted that generous benefit and subsidy programs in the United States, including free education and health care, may be attracting lazy foreigners. The Libertarian Party supports the abolition of government benefits and subsidies, for both natives and foreigners. It’s worth pointing out that foreigners use these programs at a lower rate than natives,” Sarwark continued.

“It’s a shame that many in the media are trying to make Americans feel fear and suspicion toward immigrants. It’s particularly disgusting that protesters would yell at children to make their political point. Immigration is good for foreigners and good for Americans, and we need to change our laws to make immigration much easier.”