KRAVITZ’S KORNER | The Strawman Illegal Immigration Argument

The Strawman Illegal Immigration Argument

One of the most devious tactics employed by seasoned debaters is to give the impression of refuting an opponent’s argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent. Deploying this rhetorical strategy is precisely what many have done when it comes to illegal immigration. This tactic may be effective political theater, but it does nothing to address this important issue. The argument is commonly made that the United States should not increase border security nor defund sanctuary cities because that contradicts the central notion that the United States is a nation comprised of immigrants. This is a prototypical example of a strawman argument.