Editor’s note: When it comes to immigration – illegal or otherwise – the American people have a right to be concerned. Each week, Liberty Nation author Kelli Ballard will examine a contentious issue related to today’s hottest topic.

All around the world, countries are closing their borders to travel to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. While this upsets plans to visit the family or go on a distant vacation, it has really had an impact on immigrants trying to relocate. Now, these travelers have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to gain entry into any country. So, what is our responsibility as humans? Do we help them by allowing them to enter our nations or do we keep our borders closed to help prevent the spread of a disease that has halted business and interrupted life on a global scale?

Migrants, who have largely been encouraged by the left to leave their homelands and settle in America, have found their journeys come to an abrupt halt. They have been taken to and left in the hot Sahara Desert, transported to Mexico’s border with Guatemala, or are drifting in the Mediterranean Sea, finding all options of a new life outside their homelands effectively blocked. While immigration activists claim racist motivation, at least on President Donald Trump’s behalf, their liberal cousins are continuing to push the pandemic narrative of self-isolation, stay-at-home orders, keeping nonessential businesses closed, and so on.

It can’t be had both ways: Either we practice social distancing or we open the borders. It makes absolutely no sense to welcome hordes of people into our country that likely have not been vaccinated against many of the diseases we have more or less under control here. Liberty Nation’s Joe Schaeffer reported on the spread of disease via immigration. He said that in November 2018, Tijuana, Mexico’s Health Department claimed there were 6,000 migrants who had been stuck in the city while trying to cross the border and “a full one-third, 2,267 to be exact, had health-related issues.” Mr. Schaeffer further explained:

“Fox reported that, of those cases, more than 60% had respiratory infections, 101 had lice, four had HIV/AIDS, four had chicken pox, three had tuberculosis, and there were ‘many skin infections.’ There was also a threat of a hepatitis outbreak, according to Fox, due to the crowded, unsanitary conditions of the migrant camps.”

Several states released prisoners due to close-quarter living, hoping to prevent the spread of the virus, much to the outrage of many of their constituents. If we cannot hold funerals for our loved ones, are not allowed to visit our sick or elderly family and friends, allow prisoners to roam the streets and possibly commit more crimes, shut down local businesses and tank the nation’s economy, then how can anyone possibly justify allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants to infiltrate essentially quarantined countries? Some would argue that these immigrants knew the risks before taking up the trek. However, the media’s influence is powerful indeed, and the mixed messages designed to fit whatever narrative is in the current spotlight could shoulder some of the responsibility for these people being trapped in appalling conditions with nowhere to go and no one to welcome them in.

On May 3, AP Wire published a piece titled “Desert of sea: Virus traps migrants in mid-route danger zone.” It’s a long story describing the plight of several immigrants, but what was disturbing, and also a good example of writing to fit the narrative, was this bit:

“Many governments have declared emergencies, saying a public health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic requires extraordinary measures. However, these measures are just the latest efforts by governments to clamp down on migrants, despite human rights laws.”

Here, the pandemic is downplayed so that the focus can be on the so-called mistreatment of migrants. However, in the May 6 AP Morning Wire email, just three days after publication of the Coronavirus immigration story, these were the three top titles:

• US infection rate soars outside NY as states ease restrictions.
• Vulnerable in poor, rural America have been hit hard by virus.
• UK second only to US in official deaths, overtakes Italy in Europe.

Can you say, “contradiction”?

Dr. Violeta Moreno-Lax is a professor of migration law at Queen Mary University of London. She referenced World War II and how national and international laws still found a way to protect refugees, and stressed that states do not have the right to return migrants to their homelands if they will be in danger there. “This is blatantly discriminatory and never justified,” she said. “The pandemic provides the perfect excuse.”

Why should Americans be forced to stay in their homes, unable to work to provide for their families unless they have been deemed an essential employee, forbidden to attend Church services, and suffer a host of other liberties being withheld from them while illegal immigrants and other migrants should be welcomed with open (hopefully at least six-foot apart) arms?

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Read more from Kelli Ballard.

For home study students and young people, Liberty Nation recommends…

All About Immigration

High School: The Story of Immigration and America

Middle School: The Story of Immigration and America

Elementary School: The Story of Immigration and America

All About Coronavirus

High School: The Spread of Coronavirus: How it Works

Middle School: A Scientific Look at COVID-19

Elementary School: Coronavirus: The Science

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Video: What’s the Point of Borders?