Homework Responses Wk 5 & 1

Hello class and Professor, 

Discuss the actions that prompted the "border control offensive" and made the issue of illegal immigration a priority along the SW border and contrast this with the northern border.

  The border control offensive was based on a strategy by the INS called "Prevention through deterrence" (Andreas, 2009, pp.92). This was different from the previous strategy, which was apprehension after the illegals had already entered the country. This lead to a lot of stop and frisk type of searches involving individuals fitting a certain description and requiring documentation. Deterrence being discouraging an action or event by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences. The action is coming across the border and entering the country illegally. The measures implemented to instill fear into those illegal migrants were a series of actions such as; consequences should they be captured. Some of these were harsher penalties (jail time). It also improved security measures like additional law enforcement, upgraded technology, and DHS agents at the border. Over the last couple of decades, the border patrol's focus has evolved from being primarily concerned with terrorists, focusing on immigrants due to a handful of reasons, such as the overwhelming number of immigrants entering the country illegally. In 2012 alone, the number passed 11 million. The southern border is different from the north, being it has more immigration, more traffic, business operations, and more ports and than that of the north. 

Regarding border enforcement, describe who is the enemy and discuss any public health and safety concerns. 

  The enemy in this situation can be seen from two different perspectives. Individuals entering the country illegally and bring contraband are hurting the country and can be seen from the immigration point of view as the enemy. However, those individuals that are fleeing and trying to claim asylum or improve their way of life legally most likely see the US immigration system as the enemy. The DHS are protecting the border and the American people from terrorist, weapons, drugs, and illegal of undocumented aliens. There are a ton of public health and safety concerns. Close-quarter living can be dangerous, especially during Covid; also, hundreds of illegals attempt to cross the border and die or get injured during their journey. 

Are the concerns the same on both the southwest and northern borders? (LO5.1 & LO5.2)

  Both borders have similar issues, but the numbers show greater migrants at the southern border, more illegal drug trade actions, and other smuggling efforts. 

Ref:

Andreas, Peter. Border Games: Policing the U.S.-Mexico Divide, Second Edition. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2009.

Ewing, W. A. (2014). "Enemy territory": Immigration enforcement in the US-mexico borderlands. Journal on Migration and Human Security, 2(3), 198-222. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/scholarly-journals/enemy-territory-immigration-enforcement-us-mexico/docview/1685004690/se-2?accountid=8289