Catholic Social Teaching,
The Right to Migrate, and the Rule of Law
Andrew Yuengert
Cool Talk, Univ. of St. Thomas
March 2, 2012

Outline
• Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration
• Economics of immigration
• Politics of Immigration

Priority of Doctrine over Politics
• Since they are citizens of a free society, those who teach Catholic Social Doctrine will as responsible citizens have their own political opinions and they will range across the whole right, left, and centre perspectives within the limits of that doctrine…
• Rodger Charles, Christian Social Witness and
Teaching

Priority of Doctrine over Politics
• … but they must avoid the temptation to let their own opinions color the way in which they approach the subject. They must make clear that they respect all the political options a Christian in good conscience can take, not only that which they have espoused.
– Rodger Charles, Christian Social Witness and
Teaching

Doctrine First
• Most of us are not really approaching the subject [Christian social morality] in order to find out what Christianity says: we are approaching it in the hope of finding support from Christianity for the views of our own party. We are looking for an ally where we are offered either a Master or – a Judge. I am just the same.
– C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

The Right to Migrate
• Based on three principles
– Right of family to a living
– Priority of family over state
– Right of economic initiative

Right to Migrate
• Aware of burdens on host countries
– Not an open borders policy
– Not an absolute right

Not absolute?
• Rights and Justice
• Justice accounts for tradeoffs
• Rights stronger where fewer substitutes
– Right to life absolute: no substitute!
– Right to migrate strongest for refugees and the poor

Not Absolute
• Right to migrate may be abridged in the face of severe threats to common good.
– Not to be abridged lightly
– A high bar: US immigrants are poor

Pause to Reflect
• What the principles buy:
– Cannot ignore benefits and costs to immigrants
– Be generous, especially to the poor
– There can be grounds for restrictions

Pause to Reflect
• Value in these principles, before application
– Policy based on more than effects on natives
– All concerns not “anti-immigrant”
• Bishops do a great service in teaching principles, even if they do nothing else
– They should affect both right, left, and center
– Through the laity

Economic Effects of U.S. Immigration
Large benefits to Immigrants
- Poor Immigrants: wages 4-5 times higher
- Refugees, asylum seekers
- Benefits to home countries:
- $ remittances
- business connections

Economic Effects of U.S. Immigration
Small net benefit to:
- US business owners
- consumers
Effect on wages of native unskilled:
2-3% lower growth over 20 years

Economic Effects of U.S. Immigration
Effect on state and local budgets:
- modest
- but concentrated (CA,
FL, TX, AZ)

Economic Effects of U.S. Immigration
Effects on Natives: small
Effects on Immigrants: large
Conclusion: Arguments against immigration must rely on noneconomic costs (security, culture)

The Politics of US Immigration
• 1986: three million illegal immigrants
• The Grand Bargain (IRCA):
– Amnesty
– Enforcement (workplace)

The Politics of US Immigration
• The Outcome of the
Bargain
• 2.7 million amnestied
– No enforcement
– By 2000, 10 million illegal immigrants

The Politics of US Immigration
• The Politics this time
– Enforcement first
– Fences at the Border

The Politics of US Immigration
• Concern about the rule of law
• Widespread flouting of law corrupts
– Consciences of illegal immigrants
– Politics
– government agencies

The Politics of US Immigration
• Respect for rule of law
– Fragile
– Crucial
– Hard to re-establish

The Politics of US Immigration
• The problem is illegal immigration
• Can be solved by
– Increasing legal immigration
– Even this will require real enforcement

Final Thoughts
• Cautions for all Catholics
• Conservatives:
– Goal is a generous policy
• Catholic Progressives:
– Rule of law legitimate problem
– Real enforcement makes generous policy possible

Final Thoughts
• Charity in all things, even politics

Is US policy Generous?
• Permanent Legal Immigration, 2009
– US: 1.13 million
– Germany: 606 thousand
– Switzerland: 132 thousand
– France: 126 thousand
– UK: 471 thousand
– Mexico: 24 thousand

Is US Policy Generous?
• Foreign born Population, %, 2009 (% not from EU)
– Australia: 26.5%
– Canada: 19.6%
– Finland: 4% (2.8%)
– France: 12% (8.4%)
– Germany: 12.9% (7.8%)
– Israel: 26%
– Luxembourg: 37% (5.6%)
– Netherlands: 11% (9.4%)
– Sweden: 14% (9.1%)
– Switzerland: 26% (11.7%)
– UK: 11% (7.7%)
– US: 12.5%