  One exception to this line of thought may be the children of irregular migrants who were brought to the new country at a very young age. After all, because they had no choice in their migration, they have no culpability which needs to erode over time. Critics have room to resist even this case, however, because the crucial issue is entitlement, not culpability. Suppose that I pass the Mona Lisa on to my son, Jackson (who has no idea that I stole it), and that he becomes incredibly attached to it over the course of several years. Despite the twin facts that (1) Jackson is in no way culpable for possessing the Mona Lisa and (2) he has gradually become very attached to it, he does not seem entitled to keep the painting. And if we think the authorities would violate none of Jackson’s rights if they took the Mona Lisa from him and returned it to the Louvre, then why think that the authorities would violate the rights of an irregular migrant who at a young age had settled without authorization in a foreign country with her parents? Just as Jackson should not be punished for his possession of the painting, the child should clearly not be punished for having entered a foreign country without authorization. But Jackson’s right against being punished is distinct from his right to retain the Mona Lisa, and the child’s right not to be punished for her family’s migration is distinct from her right to remain in the new country. These objections do not show that irregular migrants do not gradually acquire a right to stay, but they do suggest that advocates of this position who also believe in the state’s right to control immigration must do more than merely point to the psychological costs to those who might be deported.