US border security is an essential element of national and homeland security. Border security
dates back to before 1924 when the US Border Patrol was established. According to US Customs
and Border Protection (2018), mounted watchmen from US Immigration Services frequently
patrolled US borders to prevent unlawful crossing of Chinese immigrants in 1904 in El Paso,
Texas, and as far west as California. In 1915, Congress legislated Mounted Inspectors to aid
military groups in inspecting stations. The Eighteenth Amendment of the US Constitution
prohibited the manufacture, importation, and transportation of alcoholic drinks in 1920.
Subsequently, the US Immigration Act was legislated, which enforced border security in 1924.
In 1924, the Labor Appropriation Act created the US Border Patrol. The 9/11/2001 attacks
heightened and extended Border Patrol to deterrence of terrorists, apprehension, and detection of
terrorist weapons. Today, the Border Patrol is tasked with maintaining the nation's security by
undertaking security initiatives such as container security, air cargo advanced screening,
proliferation security, and customs trade partnerships against terrorism.
Cyber security is a relatively new threat, and the US has been implementing various initiatives to
securitize the country's susceptibility to cyberspace. Chatzis and Stavrou (2021) argue that
instances of terrorist attacks such as the Paris terrorist attacks (2015), the 11th September attacks
(USA, 2001), and the EU migration crisis (2015) increase the extent of vulnerability to cyber-
attacks. According to Hare (2018), the Obama Administration's Congressional Commission on
Cybersecurity and Cyber Review established that cyber security is among the significant national
security problems in the 21st century. Challenges faced when responding to violence such as the
US/Mexico border include extensive interconnections with other countries, data transfer and
integrated nature of cybersecurity planning, and cybersecurity awareness because borders are
increasingly exposed to cyber threats as illustrated by the utilization of technology and cyber
threats in Ukraine-Russia war and Israel-Gaza war. Militia such as Houthis enacted a naval
blockade around Bab-el-Mandeb, Red Sea, an act historically associated with superpower
nations because of modern technologies and cyber-attacks.
