‘Open borders’ talk translates to ‘worker exploitation’

An old, familiar spirit is alive on the coasts.

Coretta Scott King’s 1991 letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah made it clear: “. . . we are concerned that some who support the repeal of employer sanctions are using ‘discrimination’ as a guise for their desire to abuse undocumented workers and introduce cheap labor into the U.S. workforce.”

Today’s advocates of open borders throw in a bit of libertarian and progressive language to cover a system that relies, not on free labor, but an endless supply of exploitable non-citizen workers. Employers’ thirst for exploitable engineers from India, electronics and garment workers in Asia, and Central American farm and factory workers, has a familiar odor that apologists “using ‘discrimination’ as a guise” can’t conceal.

So, when opposition to this system appears, it’s not surprising to hear of today’s version of secession and “nullification,” and see hoods, bats and firebombs deployed. Apologists for this system are also, in a sense, its victims.

Open borders are indefensible. Exploiting non-citizen workers is indefensible. A system of cheap, exploitable workers, dear to the coastal Davos class, is collapsing. Firebombs, sanctuary cities and shouts of apologists should not deflect attention from this problem.

This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 4:15 PM with the headline "‘Open borders’ talk translates to ‘worker exploitation’."