This chapter applies the associative ownership framework to several important policy debates including the claims of resident non-citizens and the legitimacy of attempts to militarize the border (section I). After rejecting the leading approaches to such problems, I argue that the difficulties raised by illegal immigration may be well addressed by the development of a certain type of guest-worker program (section II). Finally, I offer some brief concluding remarks on the overall argument (section III).

NON-CITIZEN RESIDENTS

There are two popular positions in regard to illegal immigration: the treatment of non-citizen residents; and border control. First, many analysts – call them integrationists – argue that justice requires that all illegal immigrants permanently residing in the territory be fully, and even automatically, integrated into the political community. Second, restrictionists – especially in the country's public debate – have generated widespread support for militarizing the border and refusing to tolerate the presence of illegal immigrants.

A Opposing integrationism

Integrationists insist that all long-term residents of a territory – including illegal immigrants – are entitled to full membership in the body politic. Ruth Rubio-Marín, for example, argues that