The Amorality of Law, The History of Immigration & Guest Lenni Benson

What if our legal system was never actually designed to be moral? This week, host Ian Heller tackles the massive "legal fiction" that governs immigration in America alongside an absolute powerhouse in the field. Professor Lenni Benson is the Distinguished Chair Professor of Immigration and Human Rights Law at New York Law School and the founder of the Safe Passage Project, a massive nonprofit initiative that has mobilized hundreds of pro-bono attorneys to assist over 1,600 unaccompanied minors facing deportation in New York. In this deeply illuminating conversation, Ian and Lenni pull back the curtain on the "dark areas" of the law where checks and balances vanish, courts lose their power to review executive overreach, and civil infractions are met with massive, profit-driven detention regimes. Together, they trace the cyclical, texturized history of American anti-immigrant sentiment, from the Alien and Sedition Acts and the "No Nothing" party targeting Irish Catholics, to the egregious congressional rhetoric behind the Chinese Exclusion Acts They dive headfirst into the complex realities of modern immigration, exploring how the system has metastasized since 9/11 into a framework driven by fear rather than evidence, From the logical fallacies surrounding immigrants and crime statistics to the unintended economic suicide of shutting out foreign students who fund our state universities, this episode is a masterclass in looking past political rhetoric to see the human and economic value of dignity.Plus, Professor Benson shares an essential toolkit of reliable, data-driven resources for listeners looking to understand the facts and get involved. Connect with Safe Passage Project:Volunteer or support their mission at safepassageproject.org Professor Benson’s Recommended Resources:Migration Policy Institute (MPI): migrationpolicy.org — Outstanding data and economic analysisCato Institute: Free-market and libertarian research on the positive economic impacts of immigrationDocumented NY: documentedny.com — Groundbreaking journalism covering NYC’s immigrant communities and holding scofflaw employers accountableMake sure to subscribe to help us grow the show!