The immigration debate often follows party lines, with Republicans calling for secure borders. But some conservative Americans have voiced arguments in support of open borders.
Some argue that opening borders and allowing immigrants to come to the U.S. to work is an example of the free market at work,
Townhall.com noted.
A few contend that immigrants don't take U.S. jobs away from American workers. “The typical immigrant is either higher-skilled or lower-skilled than the average American, so they tend to complement the workforce rather than take jobs,” said Wall Street Journal editorial writer
Jason Riley, in a speech to the Cato Institute.
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Riley, in his book, "Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders," noted that immigrants bring heightened prosperity to the nation, closing gaps in the labor market. He also argued that immigrants don't tax social services more than U.S. citizens have.
"The case for open borders is a case for moving our immigration policy in a more market-oriented direction," Riley told WSJ editorial page editor Paul Gigot,
according to NewsBusters. "The workers at the plants were coming to this country to work. Why not let them come legally? And therefore our Homeland Security forces would be able to focus on real threats. Which are not meat packers in Iowa."
Supporting open borders also is a good political tactic for conservatives,
according to Nathan Smith on OpenBorders.info.
“Immigration reform might win the votes of the growing Latino demographic for the GOP, or at least give the GOP a chance to make its case to these voters,” Smith wrote.
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