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by jaywalk 971 days ago
Where in the Declaration does it state that entering the US is an inalienable right? I'm confused.
2 comments
tombert 971 days ago
It doesn't, but I took the "liberty" part to include "free speech", and I'm arguing that by using critical speech as a means to deny a visa, that's effectively the government taking away a right.

I'm not a lawyer or a political philosopher or an ethicist, I'm just a mediocre software engineer, so I will acknowledge that I'm speaking out of my ass on this; I'm just a guy who has read a few books and has a frustrating adherence to my principles.

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pandaman 970 days ago
You cannot take away a right to enter the US from somebody who does not have it in the first place. Only citizens and permanent residents have such a right. Even people given a visa do not have this right, they still can be turned away at the border without any of their rights infringed.

This is no different, for example, from applying for a research grant and getting denied on the basis of the application. The government examined your speech in the application and decided not to give you money, is this a free speech suppression?

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lamontcg 971 days ago
"life" could apply to immigration, "liberty" should apply to immigration, and "pursuit of happiness" should apply to immigration.
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