Lexington Books The Moral and Political Philosophy of Immigration: Liberty, Security, and Equality

Product Description In The Moral and Political Philosophy of Immigration: Liberty, Security, and Equality, José Jorge Mendoza argues that the difficulty with resolving the issue of immigration is primarily a conflict over competing moral and political principles and is thereby, at its core, a problem of philosophy. Establishing the necessity of situating the public debate on immigration at the center of philosophical debates on liberty, security, and equality, this book brings into dialog various contemporary philosophical texts that deal with immigration to provide some normative guidance to future immigration policy and reform. As a groundbreaking work in social and political philosophy, it will be of great value not only to students and scholars in these fields, but also those working in social science, public policy, justice studies, and global studies programs whose work intersects with issues of immigration. Review The Moral and Political Philosophy of Immigration offers a succinct yet powerful overview of the philosophical debate on immigration, while making an original contribution to the literature by addressing the standards by which both border and internal enforcement should operate. Overall, Mendoza's work is a valuable intervention in this debate, provoking further reflection on how best to articulate and decide on relevant immigration policies of liberal democratic states, especially in terms of how such policies should be enforced. . . Mendoza's approach paves the way to better strategies for dealing with the rights--and not just the needs--of individuals who for different reasons (have to) move across borders.--Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy [T]he publication of José Jorge Mendoza's book is particularly timely.... Mendoza's engagement with issues of immigration enforcement is a welcome contribution to the ethics of immigration literature. Mendoza's book should be of interest to scholars and policymakers concerned to reflect on the policies states may employ to enforce their immigration laws, and has important lessons for current U.S. enforcement policy.--Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews A timely and much needed work that challenges philosophers to grapple with the moral and political issues surrounding immigration enforcement--the first book-length philosophical treatment to do so. It also makes an excellent case for the invaluable role philosophy plays in debates surrounding immigration reform. At last, a Latino philosopher's voice on this important issue!--Grant J. Silva, Marquette University This book is a groundbreaking work in moral and political philosophy that treats the issue of immigration not merely as an 'applied' issue, but rather as an issue that demands an overhaul and radical rethinking of liberal theory. In very general terms, it argues for the necessity of situating the public debate on immigration at the center of philosophical debates on liberty, security, and equality.--Carlos Alberto Sanchez, San Jose State University About the Author José Jorge Mendoza is assistant professor of philosophy at University of Massachusetts, Lowell.