Treating immigrants as ‘Americans in waiting’

You can approach the debate about immigrants’ roles in American society in three different ways, according to Hiroshi Motomura, UNC-Chapel Hill law school professor.

There’s a “contract” approach. (Immigrants are allowed to come to the United States under certain terms. If they violate those terms, they should go.) There’s an “affiliation” approach. (Immigrants who’ve lived here for years say they should have more access to the benefits of American life.)

Motomura used his speech at today’s John Locke Foundation Shaftesbury Society meeting to focus on the third option, a “transition” approach of treating immigrants as “Americans in waiting.”

• He explains the idea in this video clip.

4 p.m. update: Watch the entire speech here. Of special interest to people on all sides of the immigration debate are Motomura’s thoughts on non-citizen voting.