Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders [Paperback]

Jason L. Riley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

A conservative columnist makes an eye-opening case for why immigration improves the lives of Americans and is important for the future of the country

Separating fact from myth in today’s heated immigration debate, a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board contends that foreign workers play a vital role in keeping America prosperous, that maintaining an open-border policy is consistent with free-market economic principals, and that the arguments put forward by opponents of immigration ultimately don’t hold up to scrutiny.

In lucid, jargon-free prose aimed at the general-interest reader, Riley takes on the most common anti-immigrant complaints, including claims that today’s immigrants overpopulate the United States, steal jobs, depress wages, don’t assimilate, and pose an undue threat to homeland security. As the 2008 presidential election approaches with immigration reform on the front burner, Let Them In is essential reading for liberals and conservatives alike who want to bring an informed perspective to the discussion.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The argument that immigrants depress wages, displace workers, boost crime and disease, and pose a threat to the national security of the U.S. runs counter to political ideals of free trade and the views of conservative hero President Ronald Reagan, who supported amnesty for illegal immigrants and open borders, according to Riley, a conservative columnist. He briefly examines the long and sordid history of opposition to immigrants from Germany, Ireland, China, and, more recently, Latin America. Riley notes that immigration opponents are joined in their resistance to open borders by some environmentalists concerned about the impact on the earth of a burgeoning U.S. population. He challenges the notion that the current targets of immigrant ire—Hispanics—are somehow different from immigrants of the past. Riley also explores the compatibility between open immigration and free-market conservatism and homeland security. Because immigrants strengthen the economy through their labor and entrepreneurism, our policy on immigration should recognize economic realities and focus on providing legal ways for immigrants to enter the country through guest-worker programs, according to Riley. An illuminating look at immigration. --Vanessa Bush --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“The immigration debate seems to have been taken over by shrill anti-immigrant voices. Ace editorialist Jason Riley restores some balance with this calm, reasoned, highly compelling presentation of the case for immigration. His fact- laden polemic should make even the most die-hard xenophobe think twice. He shows why immigrants are a net plus, and why illegal immigration isn’t the crisis it has been made out to be.”
—Max Boot, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, author of War Made New and Savage Wars of Peace

“Jason Riley puts today's fierce immigration debate into perspective, and he does so with crisp writing and thoughtful analysis. Let Them In is a welcome contribution to a national discussion that is too often dominated by fear-mongering and misinformation. Free-market adherents ought to embrace open- immigration policies, and this tightly drawn book explains why.”
—Arthur Laffer, Chairman of Laffer Associates

“Jason Riley makes a very comprehensive argument for an Open Borders policy. People on all sides of this would do well to understand where he is coming from.”
—Lawrence Lindsey, former chief economic adviser to President George W. Bush --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Gotham; Reprint edition (December 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592404316
• ISBN-13: 978-1592404315
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unsubstantiated claims undermine otherwise good case, November 15, 2009

By 

W. Metz "compulsive reader" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders (Paperback)

This book provides a solid argument in favor of largely expanding immigration (although the subtitle says "open borders", nowhere does he really call for truly unlimited immigration), citing multiple studies and extensive research, as well as considerable historical evidence, to support his claims that 1) immigrants do not pressure existing social systems more than natives do, 2) immigrants fill holes in a large labor market, and 3) immigrants are a net benefit to America.

That said, Riley spends a lot of time taking pundits to task for promoting arguments to stop immigration that have no basis in historical fact, which is appropriate. Unfortunately, he proceeds to make multiple statements - for example, linking Charles Darwin to the Eugenics movement, and claiming that charter schools will fix education problems, without providing any historical basis for them (in the case of the former, there is none - Riley gamely tries to re-interpret the title of Darwin's book as such, which is silly). This makes the reader question the strength of the rest of his statements. Even worse, these statements are asides, which really have very little to do with the central argument, so they weaken the author's position without really adding to his argument. Riley also wears his political affiliation on his sleeve, which is, of course, his right, but again adds a certain amount of writing that doesn't really bear on immigration.

My advice to Mr. Riley for the 2nd edition, then, would be to remove everything that does not bear directly on his thesis. I think his arguments about immigration are generally spot-on, but there is a certain amount of irrelevant content in there, without which the book would be better. I would probably give 3-and-a-half if I could.

19 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read it with a grain of salt, July 22, 2008

By 

J. Davis (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders (Hardcover)

Jason Riley, a writer for the Wall Street Journal editorial page, presents a brief for unlimited immigration from Mexico to the U.S. While Let Them In is well-written and thought-provoking, I remain far from convinced unlimited immigration is really the best thing for America and for my state of California. Riley is certainly right on one thing: the U.S. cannot simply eliminate immigration completely. But in conceding that point, I do not therefore admit that unregulated mass immigration is a good thing. Riley nowhere discusses the cost of schooling illegal children, or the fact that many American universities (unfairly) allow in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. I've seen studies by economists that illegal immigration costs California billions of dollars. It would be a mistake in my judgment to take Let Them In as the final word on the subject.

I also don't think Riley appreciates the cultural aspects of mass Hispanic immigration. That is what drives most of the angry calls to the talk radio hosts that he criticizes in the book. Certainly, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity (or Lou Dobbs, etc..) are not above criticism, but a free-marketeer like Riley should understand they are responding to popular demand. A majority of Americans --70% in a major poll done by the Council of Foreign Relations-- want immigration reduced or eliminated. Riley doesn't seem to understand--or to even want to understand-- this frustration. In a democratic system of government is it remarkable that politicians want to at least pretend to support their constituents' demands on this subject? Nor is it unreasonable for talk show hosts to tailor their show to the desires of their listeners.

For all my criticism, I still recommend reading the book. Just don't take it as the final word on the subject.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A case well argued, May 11, 2009

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Dr. Bojan Tunguz (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders (Paperback)

The thinking on the immigration, both in the US and even more so in other countries, is dominated by emotional arguments. In the light of that it is truly refreshing to come across a book like "Let Them In" where a principled free-market conservative ideas are promoted. In an era when there is an increasing interconnection and interdependence of world economies on each other, it becomes ever more untenable to insist on free exchange of goods and services, while preventing the free flow of people. This is particularly true in the light of the fact that it is precisely the human capital that drives most of the advanced economies forward.

Reilly is a journalist for Wall Street Journal, and this is reflected in his accessible and engaging writing style. The book is an easy read, well researched, and clear in its arguments. It is quite possible that there are flaws in those arguments, but if there are any they should be dealt on the intellectual and not personal level. The issues dealt in this book are already rife with passions on both sides of the debate and it is not helpful if they are only dealt in the lowest-common-denominator manner. Hopefully this book will help create a way for this debate to be elevated to a higher level of discourse.