Believing Borders Make Us Safer Is Like Believing the Sun Revolves Around Earth

"Western governments, the U.S. under Donald Trump leading the pack, are caught in the grip of an anti-immigration fervor, enforcing cruel and degrading laws that violate human rights and undermine public safety. This entire approach toward immigrants is not only immoral but also rests on false economic claims, argues Daniel Mendiola, assistant professor of history and migration studies at Vassar College, in the interview that follows."

"Moreover, he says history disproves the claim that the existence of nations depends on closed borders. It is also simply not true that closing borders makes societies safer; Mendiola says only political will is needed for things to be different. But as more people than ever take to the streets in the U.S. to decry federal immigration agents' inhumane tactics, Mendiola points out that a different world - one with open borders and without militarized policing - is possible."

"Border security and mass migration have become in recent years a top concern for Western governments. Simply put, they oppose the free movement of people while they enthusiastically promote the free movement of capital, goods, and services. Consequently, they spend staggering sums of taxpayer money on surveillance technology, building walls, fences, detention and deportation centers, and engaging in militarized immigration enforcement practices while also demonizing immigrants."

Western governments, particularly the United States under Donald Trump, implement anti-immigration policies characterized by militarized enforcement, walls, fences, surveillance technology, detention, and deportation centers. These measures are described as cruel, degrading, violating human rights, undermining public safety, and resting on false economic claims. Historical evidence does not support the notion that nations require closed borders to exist, nor that border closures inherently enhance societal safety. Political will, rather than practical barriers, determines immigration policy. Growing public protests in the United States oppose federal agents' inhumane tactics. A feasible alternative involves open borders and demilitarized approaches prioritizing humane treatment.

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