ALT IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS AND THE UNFULFILLED PROMISE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY ABSTRACT The United States of America arose from a revolution. This revolution was motivated by classical liberal values and principles, which were codified in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The American government has never fully lived up to these principles. In this paper, I argue that immigration restrictions have long enabled significant violations of America’s founding principles. Moreover, I argue that the increasing militarization of immigration enforcement threatens to destroy liberal democracy in America. To fulfill the promise of liberal democracy, we must reaffirm and radically extend the principles of the American founding. Ultimately, this means liberalizing immigration policy and stopping the rapacious state violence of agencies such as ICE & CBP.