To consider the moral foundations of criticisms of ICE, it is useful to first examine the arguments in favor of freedom of movement.
Several philosophers have argued for freedom of movement, often on the grounds that migration should be understood as a human right. For example, the philosopher Kieran Oberman argues that people have a basic interest in being able to move to any country in which they have core attachments, such as a job or close family members. This argument follows the claim, developed by philosophers such as John Stuart Mill and John Rawls, that individuals should be free to pursue their own life plans. They hold that this pursuit is essential to achieving self-realization.
