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"Perhaps the most famous and ambitious attempt to seal a border was the Berlin Wall, built in 1961 and dismantled in 1989...What’s interesting is that however impressive the Inner German border was, even after August 1961 plenty of people were able to cross it. Certainly not as many as had before, so the GDR could achieve its goal of stabilizing the regime, yet far more than one might expect. Those who wanted to leave showed an inventiveness that could well match that of the GDR apparatus: tunnels were built, some escaped in self-made balloons..."

http://openborders.info/blog/how-to-seal-a-border/

‪#‎OpenBorderThursdays‬

If you want to literally seal a border, it takes more effort than even Stalinist East Germany put into it.
openborders.info

The Ilya Shapiro vs Ilya Somin debate on the constitutionality of the Obama administration's immigration executive orders is up. The debate was hosted by the Reason Foundation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llNr4be9gfw

‪#‎TeamIlya‬

On April 18, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of DAPA (Deferred Actions for Parents of Americans), President Obama's executive...
youtube.com

‪#‎TeamIlya‬ ‪#‎IlyavsIlyadebate‬

"The detailed enumeration of congressional powers in Article I of the Constitution does not include any power to restrict migration as such, even though it does include the power to make laws concerning the “naturalization” of foreigners and “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations.” The Naturalization Clause does not create a power to prevent foreigners from entering the country. It merely allows Congress to set conditions for the grant of citizenship."

http://openborders.info/…/immigration-and-the-us-constitut…/

The detailed enumeration of congressional powers in Article I of the Constitution does not include any power to restrict migration.
openborders.info

If you liked Vipul's latest entry in the 'How did we get here?' series, why not read the initial article?

"..the precautionary principle would indicate that the burden of proof should lie with new policies that they are not harmful. As an example, if you don’t know whether doing exploding a bomb will blow up the planet, but you think it might, then the safe action to take would be avoid blowing up that bomb. However, this principle holds less weight when the reason a status q...uo is in place to begin with is because of faulty reasoning and that status quo causes great harm itself."

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How Did We Get Here? The Origins of Immigration Restrictions: Intro May 29, 2013 Chris Hendrix 5 Comments As Vipul Naik has recently commented on, I am going to be starting a new series of posts here on Open Borders. The goal of this series will be to examine how border restrictions have changed an…
openborders.info

California, 1848-1872: Before the feds got on board with Chinese exclusion, the state government and courts in California took many steps to cater to popular anti-Chinese sentiment. Vipul Naik traces the history, and highlights the role the First Transcontinental Railroad (built by Chinese and Irish immigrants) played in making Chinese immigration a national matter.

The road to Chinese exclusion was paved with keyhole solutions. Before the US federal government stepped in, the California government passed laws to curb the economic and legal rights of the Chinese. It succeeded, but this failed to stop immigration.
openborders.info

Sebastian Nickel reviews six migration-related grants by the Open Philanthropy Project and GiveWell from the perspective of freedom of movement. He ends with some predictions for the next year.

One year in, I review four old grants and two new ones. One new grantee, libertarian think tank Niskanen Center, comes close to this site's stance of championing free movement.
openborders.info

‪#‎OpenBorderThursdays‬

"I may personally like Indian food a lot, but I am going to be suspicious of any policy to subsidise Indian migration for the sake of “culinary diversity”. Like co-blogger Vipul, I am unimpressed by “it will enhance diversity, and that’s by definition a good thing” kinds of arguments for open borders."

http://openborders.info/…/claim-open-borders-inevitably-le…/

People too quickly assume migration has a straightforward effect on diversity. Society is a lot more complicated than that.
openborders.info

‪#‎OpenBorderThursdays‬

"Restrictionists often worry both about immigrant characteristics and heterogeneity-related harms. These cultural issues deserve detailed discussion, but culinary diversity seems to fall on the benefits side of the ledger."

http://openborders.info/cuisine-diversity-benefit-to-immig…/

Cuisine diversity benefit to immigrant-receiving countries One of the chief benefits of regionally diverse immigration is the resultant diversity of culinary styles (or cuisines) — more varieties of food available at low cost. Restrictionists often worry both about immigrant characteristics and hete…
openborders.info

‪#‎OpenBorderThursdays‬

"Open borders supporters should explain how open borders could actually help protect the U.S. from terrorism... So one argument notes that, unlike our current restrictionist policy which devotes considerable resources and focus on keeping out unauthorized immigrants seeking to work in the U.S., resources under an open borders policy could be focused on screening out terrorists."

http://openborders.info/b…/open-borders-terrorism-and-islam/

"Open borders supporters should explain how open borders could actually help protect the U.S. from terrorism and that open borders should be available to all individual immigrants, regardless of religion, so long as they pose no terrorist threat."
openborders.info

If you didn't get a chance to do so last year when it was released, you can still sign the Open Borders manifesto.

http://openborders.info/open-borders-manifesto/

‪#‎OpenBorders‬

Freedom of movement is a basic liberty that governments should respect. This extends to movement across international boundaries.
openborders.info

Is there a right to migrate to Mars and beyond? Michelangelo Landgrave muses on the idea.

http://openborders.info/bl…/right-to-migrate-to-outer-space/

‪#‎OpenBorders‬ ‪#‎Mars‬

There is some comfort in knowing that when mankind begins to colonize space he will have a right to do so. He will still have to find a means to do so, but at minimum he will not be pulled over at a border check point outside Mars and made to present his visa to the local authorities.
openborders.info

Did you know several countries have open borders with one another? Site founder Vipul Naik showcases the example of India and Nepal.

http://openborders.info/…/nepal-and-india-an-open-borders-…/

‪#‎OpenBorders‬

What can we learn about open borders from a case study of open borders between a small, poor, mountainous country and one of the largest, slightly less poor countries? Vipul Naik explores.
openborders.info

Is there an inherent human right to migrate? John Lee discusses Frederick Douglass' view on the question.

http://openborders.info/…/frederick-douglass-migration-is-…/

‪#‎OpenBorders‬ ‪#‎FrederickDouglass‬

There are such things in the world as human rights. Among these is the right of migration. It is this great right that I assert for all men equally with yourselves, now and forever.
openborders.info

How could mass migration change America's institutions? Nathan Smith speculates.

http://openborders.info/…/billion-immigrants-change-americ…/

‪#‎OpenBorders‬

The wild-eyed predictions of open borders optimists will come true. But the forebodings of pessimists will also prove justified.
openborders.info

It's not too late to attend one of several independent OBD events in Philly, DC, San Francisco or Chicago! Click for venue details.

https://openbordersday.wordpress.com/events/

‪#‎OpenBorders‬ ‪#‎Philadelphia‬ ‪#‎DC‬ ‪#‎SanFrancisco‬ ‪#‎Chicago‬

We have the following events planned for Open Borders Day: 3/9/2016 – Lant Pritchett, Valerie Vande Panne, Jeffrey Miron,and Bryan Caplan will discuss liberalizing immigration at Harvard Univ…
openbordersday.wordpress.com

Did Milton Friedman oppose opening the borders until the welfare state was destroyed? The answer is not as obvious as you'd think.

http://openborders.info/friedman-immigration-welfare-state/

‪#‎OpenBorders‬ ‪#‎miltonfriedman‬

Friedman said: "Mexican immigration is a good thing. It’s a good thing for the illegal immigrants. It’s a good thing for the United States."
openborders.info

Commemorate OBD by reading (and sharing!) some of our best content throughout the years.

What does the Constitution say in regards to immigration? By Ilya Somin, GMU Law Professor.

http://openborders.info/…/immigration-and-the-us-constitut…/

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The detailed enumeration of congressional powers in Article I of the Constitution does not include any power to restrict migration.
openborders.info

It's Open Borders Day!

What are you doing to help spread the message?

http://openborders.info/open-borders-manifesto/

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Freedom of movement is a basic liberty that governments should respect. This extends to movement across international boundaries.
openborders.info

Independently organized Open Borders Day (March 16th) events will be held in San Francisco. Philadelphia, Chicago, and D.C. Click below for details.

‪#‎OpenBorders‬

https://openbordersday.wordpress.com/events/

We have the following events planned for Open Borders Day: 3/9/2016 – Lant Pritchett, Valerie Vande Panne, Jeffrey Miron,and Bryan Caplan will discuss liberalizing immigration at Harvard Univ…
openbordersday.wordpress.com