US Founders opposed open borders, and so should we.

The Founders’ Views on Immigration

Contrary to popular belief, the Founders did not advocate for an open-door immigration policy. From the very beginning, they knew that America had to set boundaries. Their top three concerns were the qualifications, assimilation, and allegiance of newcomers.

Qualifications

The Founders emphasized the moral character and contributions newcomers would bring. They didn’t want convicts and criminals as new immigrants. George Washington preferred skilled new immigrants, such as “useful mechanics and some particular descriptions of men or professions.” James Madison wanted the “worthy part of mankind to come and settle amongst us,” so they can “increase the wealth and strength of the community.”

Assimilation

The United States was founded upon specific ideas and moral principles, and the Founders believed that assimilation was necessary to protect and strengthen the country. They were concerned that a lack of assimilation would be harmful to immigrants’ happiness and damning to the unity and longevity of the republic. George Washington expressed a similar concern: that immigration does not benefit America when immigrants congregate and “retain their language, habits and principles (good or bad) which they bring with them.”

Allegiance

No matter what drives them to America, some immigrants retain residual loyalty to their countries and cultures of birth. To become Americans, the Founders believed immigrants needed to give up prior allegiances and pledge an oath of fidelity to the U.S.

Citizenship

While some Founders believed an oath of allegiance and a declaration to stay in America were sufficient for citizenship, others did not want to give out citizenship too cheaply. They pointed out that some foreign sailors had voted in Philadelphia’s assembly elections after taking oaths of allegiance and then left America, having never intended to stay. Therefore, some Founders thought “some security for their [immigrants’] fidelity and allegiance was requisite besides the bare oath.” The additional security the Founders sought was property ownership or residency.

• Property ownership has been used to distinguish citizens from aliens since the Roman Empire.
• The majority of the Founders regarded it as essential that an individual have a period of residency in the U.S. prior to gaining citizenship.
• Founders extensively debated how long residency should be. Some suggested two years, while others suggested five years or even longer.

The Founders’ views on immigration were complex and nuanced. They believed that immigration could benefit America, but only if newcomers were qualified, assimilated, and pledged allegiance to the country.

About the Author: Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She’s a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Helen is the author of several books, including “Confucius Never Said” and “Backlash: How Communist China’s Aggression Has Backfired.” Her latest book is the 2nd edition of “The Broken Welcome Mat: America’s UnAmerican immigration policy, and how we should fix it.” Follow her on Parler and Twitter: @HRaleighspeaks.

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