Freedom manifests itself in self-determination; the ability to establish the rules by which we live, free from outside interference. This concept is known as “sovereignty.” Uncontrolled migration is a direct threat to our sovereignty. It disregards concerns about assimilation, national unity and the preservation of our respect for the rule of law.
Over a century ago, the Supreme Court acknowledged this in Ekiu v. United States. The court stated: “It is an accepted maxim of international law that every sovereign nation has the power, as inherent in sovereignty, and essential to self-preservation, to forbid the entrance of foreigners within its dominions, or to admit them only in such cases and upon such conditions as it may see fit to prescribe.” The justices who decided Ekiu understood we have an obligation to protect our national home and ensure the safety of America.
Now, the Obama administration has decreed that the U.S. will accept at least 110,000 Near Eastern and South Asian refugees. The vast majority of these individuals will come from Syria and other terrorist hotbeds, even though numerous security officials have said it is virtually impossible to vet them.
This decision was made without any consideration of how it affects our sovereignty or the national security concerns expressed by the American people. And the administration has dismissed those who oppose the mass acceptance of refugees as intolerant.
Over the last year, Europe has accepted unprecedented numbers of refugees from the same regions. But they haven’t all presented themselves as humble guests in need of assistance. Some have made unreasonable demands, like the asylees in Germany who complained about being temporarily quartered in a warehouse and demanded private apartments at the German taxpayer’s expense. Despite this apparent lack of manners, very few European countries have asked their uninvited guests to leave. The few nations that have, like Hungary, were roundly criticized for defending their sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Special Representative for Migration has publicly stated that, “sovereignty is an absolute illusion that has to be put behind us,” and insists that individual nations are bound to blindly accept whatever refugees show up at their door.
Is sovereignty merely an illusion? A century ago, the answer was obvious to the Supreme Court, it should be obvious now. The American idea of sovereignty is no illusion. Rather, it is the key to ensuring the integrity of our borders and protecting our national security.