Question

Border Security

Name

Institution

Border Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plays a broad role in providing public security in the country. The missions of homeland security revolve around cyber security, disaster management, border security, and immigration (White, 2016). The department has been in existence since 2002 after the 9/11 attack and has remained to be a critical pillar in protecting the United States. The department gets allocated a budget every year to facilitate its operations. One issue of concern in Homeland Security is border security. The role of homeland security in providing border security is to ensure that while there is lawful travel at the border, illegal movement of substances such as drugs and weapons (White, 2016). Border security has a significant impact on the safety and economy of the country. The countries bordering the United States are Canada and Mexico, and rivers and lakes, which are substantial in the economic state of the country.

One state in the U.S. that borders Mexico is New Mexico. Recently, the U.S President Donald Trump proposed the building of a perimeter wall that separates Mexico and the United States (Payan, 2016). The border between the two countries stretches to about one thousand and nine hundred miles from the south of Texas to the Pacific Ocean. As much as the proposal is meant to control the movement of illegal migrants from Mexico to the United States, a lot of debate has ensued concerning the practicality of the project. Some parts of the border have been fenced to restrict illegal immigrants from crossing into the United States (Payan, 2016). Another measure taken by the government is the deployment of border patrol personnel who are equipped with resources such as motion sensors and drones that help them to patrol the border throughout.

Measures put into restricting illegal immigrants from entering the United States have been influenced by some significant security threats that arise due to the movement of people in and out of the country. All the operations to secure the border have been tied to the immigration laws, which require the country to protect its soil and keep the citizens safe. As noted, a large number of undocumented immigrants pose a significant threat to society. The number affects cohesion in the nation and makes it hard to regulate the economy, which assimilates immigrants that are either employed or run their businesses (Payan, 2016). At one point in the past, a state of emergency was declared by the governor of New Mexico over illegal immigration due to the increase in the number of undocumented immigrants. President Bush pushed for the move signed the Act to establish a secure fence that combated unlawful immigration. One area that illegal immigration has affected in the states neighboring Mexico and the country at large is the economy.

One argument that has been raised concerning illegal immigrants is the potential for reduced cost production. Illegal immigrant crosses the border looking for better lives, and they become in a position to work for lower wages than the Americans (Clarkson, 2016). The move is influenced by their large numbers and the need to survive in a foreign country. The economic trend benefits employers who offer low wages and take advantage of the situation. However, the competition for the job posed by the immigrants reduces payments provided for domestic workers because the same skills they offer become offered by the immigrants at low wages (Clarkson, 2016). Apart from bringing competitiveness in the job market, illegal immigrants also reduce the rate of technological developments, and this reduces the economic competitiveness of the country at the international level. Notably, the issue of economy in regards to undocumented immigrants remains to be debated upon, and not everyone believes that it has negative impacts on the economy. Some people argue that it has not affected the wage rate because the immigrants do the jobs that the Americans are not willing to do.

Border security is aimed at ensuring that illegal immigrants do not cross the border into the United States. Apart from the border patrol, troops have been deployed in the recent past to guard the Mexico-US border. Securing of the wall is facilitated by Homeland Security under the Customs and Border Protection. The branch collaborates with the drug enforcement agency (DEA) and transport security administration to manage travel and trade between the two countries (White, 2016). As mentioned, regulation of trade and travel at the border by Homeland Security is aimed at preventing drug and human trafficking, entry of criminals into the country. Additionally, the department prevents movement of terrorism activities due to the movement at the border. The authorities do a thorough inspection of immigrants at the border at the ports of entry. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is also responsible for surveying the border from north to south.

Border enforcement policies that have been enacted by the U.S. several decades ago have had significant results. On the positive side, the country has managed to combat smugglers and drug traffickers through stern measures that have seen the deployment of resources and personnel to guard the border (Clarkson, 2016). Additionally, the country has managed to reduce the illegal movement of immigrants from Mexico to the U.S. amid fears that the growing number of illegal immigrants may harm the economy of the country. On the other hand, measures that have been taken to protect the border, such as militarization, have attracted humanitarian efforts due to the rising deaths of immigrants. Border patrol personnel have, in the recent past, been using lethal force on immigrants and are associated with several deaths (Clarkson, 2016). Border patrol teams also deter immigrants by chasing them and leaving them in dangerous areas where they are at risk of dying. Moreover, the teams prioritize the prevention of entry of immigrants into the U.S. over giving humanitarian assistance. As a result, many of the immigrants die due to harsh conditions, starvation, and injuries.

In conclusion, border security has been a topic of debate for long and is still an issue of consideration in the United States. Actions have been taken to prevent illegal immigration and keep Americans safe. However, some of the policies have caused more harm than good to humanity, and the country needs to choose means of securing the border without harming immigrants.

References

Clarkson, S. (2016). Continental Borders and National Security: A Logical Diagnosis. National Solutions to Trans-Border Problems?, 131-144.

Payan, T. (2016). The Three US-Mexico Border Wars: Drugs, Immigration, and Homeland Security: Drugs, Immigration, and Homeland Security. ABC-CLIO.

White, J. R. (2016). Terrorism and homeland security. Cengage Learning.