The legal and moral questions surrounding immigration have been debated countless times since their growing popularity during the 19th century. Those who believe it is morally wrong for a country to deny immigration status argue that immigration promotes democracy, egalitarianism, and libertarianism. On the other hand, those who believe that countries have every right to reject people seeking immigration argue that immigration contaminates a country's cultural roots, weakens national security, and reduces natural resources that would have been distributed to the original citizens of the country. .To properly understand the philosophy of immigration, it is imperative to define immigration. Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of the Constitution gives the United States Congress the exclusive power to determine and pass a uniform rule of naturalization. With this power expressed in the United States Constitution, Congress has passed several stringent laws regulating immigration and naturalization. One such statute still in effect today is the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. The law made a clear distinction between a resident alien and a naturalized citizen. Both, however, are considered by law to be immigration. As such, naturalized citizens of a country are also considered immigrants. Here then lies the heart of the philosophy of immigration: do countries have the moral justification to close their borders to people seeking immigration? Immigration, while permitted, is typically limited and selective. This means that host countries look for immigrants who contribute net economic gain to the host country. Potential immigrants must show the potential to contribute positively to the host society. A...... middle of paper ......and well-being of its citizens. They argue that a country's acceptance of immigrants is an unnecessary burden on the host country because it strips the government of its duties to natural-born citizens. As such, the lines for and against immigration based on philosophical and moral justifications are still blurred. . There is still no consensus on whether immigration should maintain the status quo or not. Works Cited • Pevnick, R., 2009, “Social Trust and the Ethics of Immigration Policy”, The Journal of Political Philosophy, 17: 146–167. • Swain, C., (ed.), 2007, Debating Immigration, New York: Cambridge University Press. • Sarah Starkweather. "US Online Immigration Legislation". University of Washington, Bothell Library. Retrieved April 7, 2012. • Cole, P. and Wellman, C., 2011, Is There a Right to Exclude? New York: Oxford University Press.