What should we do as far as immigration?

[Famous Mortimer]

Opening the borders and allowing freedom of movement would result in a massive decline in living standards for the country 1) because we would be flooded with poor, which would bring down the average income (although I'm guessing they don't mind that, since it would be bringing up the individual incomes of the immigrants slightly) and 2) More importantly, a constant flow of desperate, low skilled workers would keep wages stagnated at best. How are you going to fight for $15 when there's a 10k people coming everyday willing to work for half?

I'm guessing all you leftists advocating for no borders aren't fans of austerity. Existing austerity programs will be nothing compared to the reduction in living standards caused by redistributing wealth between the United States and all of Latin America/the third world.

Not to mention it would make establishing a meaningful welfare state logistically impossible.

[Famous Mortimer]

but it's not just the difference between a 7.27 minimum wage and a 10.10 minimum  wage.

It's also the difference between having universal health care and not having universal health care.

Yes, immigration is an American tradition. But so is not having a meaningful safety net. Those two things are linked.

[Famous Mortimer]

I hate this fake liberal nationalism about "American values." As if hypothetically America had never allowed immigrants you would be fine with keeping it that way. You want more immigrants because you want more immigrants, not because it's "an American tradition."

Me, I don't even pretend to be a nationalist. A country is only as good as the life it provides to its citizens.

If we allow immigrants in at the rate we do, our standard of living will remain the lowest in the first world.

Also, you're confusing the issue by bringing up refugees, which are a totally different issue from economic migrants.