The fraught political debate on immigration in the United States has led some commentators to look beyond orthodox positions and tired slogans. There is an increasing desire to question presuppositions on the topic, and re-examine the fundamental ethical principles that underlie existing policies.

In this context, Sarah Fine’s work on the right to exclude (explanatory podcast) has influenced one argument in The New Yorker explicitly in favour of open borders. Is political philosophy starting to make its way into political discourse and practice once more?