Is the US obligated to help migrants who cross the border?

Curtice (No)

A distinction must be made between those who enter the country legally and those who enter illegally—meaning, they break existing US laws to cut the line in front of other immigrants waiting to enter the US lawfully. Those who enter the country legally should be granted all of the rights and privileges that come with legal entry into the country. For those who choose the latter, their first act upon entering the country requires breaking the law.

While the US should treat everyone humanely, it is under no obligation to provide “help” by way of our available and tax-funded social services, education, or jobs to anyone who enters the country illegally. By “helping” or welcoming immigrants who enter the country illegally, it does nothing but further encourage, even incentivize, more of the same. If you reward rather than punish certain behavior, you are sure to get more of it.

The second obligation is to arrest, try, and, if found guilty, punish those who break the law by illegally crossing the border—or return them to where they came from.

The surge of illegal border crossers has now put a strain on larger cities far away from the southern border, and those cities are having second thoughts about declaring themselves “sanctuary cities.” It’s fine, apparently, in the abstract, but not so fine when vast influxes of humans start showing up. The US has plenty of domestic problems. Providing aid and services to those who illegally enter the country often comes at the expense of those who reside here—American citizens, including those who are homeless.  

Andrew (Yes)

The US, of course, has a humanitarian obligation to help migrants crossing the Southern border. It’s easy to get caught up in the identity politics and fear-mongering around the immigration debates, but the truth is that these individuals are human beings who are often fleeing desperate situations that have left them with no option but to escape due to gang violence, drug cartels, collapsed economies, and poor governance. When a fellow human being needs help, the right thing to do is give them the assistance they need. We must recognize the humanity of those crossing our borders and treat them accordingly.

As a party to several international agreements, such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Convention Against Torture, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the US is legally obliged to assist refugees and those fleeing certain situations. As a world leader, recognizing these treaties by the US will help enforce their validity around the globe and ensure they are respected by other nations as well.

The US must help migrants at the Southern border simply because it can. Few countries in the world have achieved the levels of wealth and development seen in the US. As the largest and most influential nation in the region, the US is indeed obligated to assist its neighbors whenever necessary. This is particularly true as the extractive nature of our economy has shipped many low-wage jobs to these nations while meddling in their internal affairs to ensure governments friendly to US interests have stayed in power, even when they have proven disastrous domestically.