The Historical Amnesia of Contemporary Federalism Debates

The article explores competing interpretations of immigration federalism in the 18th century. I argue that the 1787 Constitution did not clearly place authority to manage migration with the national government. In fact the Constitution does not discuss entry/exit policy, including the power of deportation. The debates over the Alien and Sedition Acts illustrate the diversity of opinions about the proper balance of authority between the subnational and national governments in migration. Debates over the potential expansion of national power were particularly heated in the antebellum period because migration and slave policy were inextricably linked. In the end, whatever guidance the Constitution provided on migration policy was tainted by the document's endorsement of slavery.