Key Questions

• What is a border, and who decides who crosses it?

• Is immigration a right, a privilege, or a crime?

• Can justice exist in a world with walls?

A World Divided by Lines

Borders are not natural—they are political lines drawn by governments, often shaped by wars, colonization, and treaties. Yet these lines define everything:

• Who gets to move

• Who gets to work

• Who gets to vote

• Who gets protected by the law

In many cases, those who try to cross these lines are fleeing war, poverty, or persecution—yet are treated as criminals.

Immigration as a Crime?

Many modern immigration systems focus not on inclusion, but on exclusion. In the U.S., for example:

• Entering the country without authorization is a civil offense, not a criminal one

• But repeated entry or false documentation can lead to criminal charges

• People seeking asylum are often detained, even though asylum is a legal right under international law

This creates a moral contradiction: people fleeing injustice are often met with… more injustice.

Detention and Deportation

Immigration enforcement is often punitive, not protective. Consider:

• Private detention centers that profit from holding immigrants

• Family separations as a tool of deterrence

• Deportations without due process, sometimes back to countries where people face violence or death

These policies can destroy lives—and raise the question:

Is immigration control about safety, or about power?

The Myth of “Deserving” Immigrants

Popular narratives often divide immigrants into “good” and “bad”:

• “Good” = hardworking, law-abiding, grateful

• “Bad” = undocumented, poor, from “the wrong country”

But who decides who deserves a better life?

Who gets to claim the American Dream—and who gets denied it?

This logic often reflects racism, colonial history, and economic interest, not fairness.

A Nation of Immigrants?

The U.S. proudly calls itself “a nation of immigrants.” Yet:

• The first immigration bans targeted Asians

• The largest deportations targeted Latinos

• And many immigration laws were written during periods of racial panic and economic fear

Justice means remembering that most Americans are descended from people who were once “outsiders.”

Reflection Questions

• Can a person be “illegal”?

• What is the difference between a refugee and an immigrant? Who decides?

• If borders didn’t exist, how would we define justice?

Suggested Readings / Media

• Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli

• Separated: Inside an American Tragedy by Jacob Soboroff

• Films: The Visitor, Sin Nombre, Immigration Nation (Netflix)

• Reports from Human Rights Watch and the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project

Discussion Prompts

• Should borders be open? Why or why not?

• What responsibilities do wealthy nations have to people fleeing danger?

• Can national security and human rights coexist?

Next Lesson Preview

Lesson 5 – Justice Across Borders: International Law and Global Responsibility

Next, we explore whether justice can cross oceans—and whether nations must answer to something bigger than themselves.

“No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.”

— Warsan Shire, Somali-British poet