Border Security Essay Example

Introduction

The September 9/11 attacks revealed the vulnerability of the United States national security system. It revealed that that this system could be defeated and that terrorists could successfully navigate or go around it and cause unwavering havoc to the US citizens. The attack was consequently followed by huge calls for a total overhaul of the nation’s security system and infrastructure. In addition, there were increased calls for the nation’s security officials to focus primarily on prevention rather than mitigation. Since this time, several areas in which the prevention strategy can be actualized have been suggested. One of these areas relates to nation’s borders. Various scholars and searchers have cited border insecurity as one of the weak points of the nation’s security. They have maintained that accentuated border security is an adequate prevention strategy as it would prevent illegal aliens, some of who may terrorists from accessing the nation and later on committing atrocious activities that lead to the death of millions. In addition, it will prevent entry of illegal weapons and goods including drugs. Therefore, various border securities policies and strategies have been enacted since 9/11. Unfortunately, most of these policies have had a negative effect with some of them interfering with the free movement and flow of goods and people and that are required for the economic development of the United States. This research aims to look at this issue of border security and how it should be approached to ensure that the policies and strategies enacted do not interfere with the free movement of goods and people.

Research Questions

How have post 9/11 border security policies and strategies impacted other activities that occur at the borders including movement of legal immigrants and travelers as well as the movement of goods and services? How should this issue, therefore, be approached to ensure that illegal entry of people, weapons and drugs are curbed while but at the same time the legal entry of goods and people is not interfered with?

Annotated Bibliography

Ackleson, J. (2005). Border security technologies: Local and regional implications. Review of policy research, 22(2), 137-155.
This article explores various border control systems that can have a significant effect on some of the illegal activities that happen on borders and that include illegal immigration and smuggling of weapons and drugs. The article postulates that the ‘Smart Border’ strategy adopted by President George has had immense implications for the border regions and communities in North America. The article therefore asserts that new security technologies have come up as the most preferable policy solution to the huge problem of screening for terrorist incursion as well as legal weapons while at the same time maintaining the constant flow of individuals and goods which are the key drivers of the hallmarks and globalization strategies of NAFTA (Ackleson, 2002). However, the author contends that the proposed new technological systems although possessing a myriad of capabilities have significant social, political and economic impacts. The article, therefore, discusses these technologies and assesses their viability and impact. This article will be of great value to this research. As shown, it will provide information on some the major border security technologies that have been proposed over the years and their impact not only in deterring terrorist incursion but also in facilitating the free flow of goods and people.
Adelman, H. (2002). Refugees and border security post-September 11. Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees, 20(4).
This article assesses the relationship between valid refugee determination and terrorist screening along the United States and the Canadian border. More specifically, the article assesses whether the refugee determination process which is part of the border security strategy along the Canadian and the United States border can act as a loophole through which terrorists can enter the country. The author claim that after 9/11, serious questions started being asked about the refugee determination process at the nation’s borders and whether it could in one way or another assist the incursion of terrorists into the nation in disguise of refugees. Border security strategy witnessed new changes that were aimed at improving the screening process to differentiate valid refugees and strategies (Adelman, 2002). Because of the huge overlap that exists between security concerns and refugees, the authors explore whether these changes have played any significant role at the national orders in ensuring that terrorists are apprehended and that the refugee determination process goes on as usual without nay hiccups. This article will, therefore, be of immense value to the research as it will explore one of the areas which have been impacted by post 9/11 border security strategies in the United States, and this is refugee determination.
Ackleson, J. (2005). Constructing security on the US–Mexico border. Political Geography, 24(2), 165-184.
This article contains an exploration of border security strategies in the United States before and after 9/11. This, therefore, provides a very good platform in which to compare the impacts that the strategies enacted after 9/11 have had not only the regions around the border but also the in the United States as a whole. The article then uses a constructivist approach to explore and comprehend the social-political context through which America has formulated various policy solutions and strategies for specific identified threats and risks with terrorism being one of these threats. The authors then explore how these various phenomena are usually treated as border security issues. Here, the author conducts an evaluation on not only the policy changes in relation to border security but also in relation to public discourse. There has been a merging of state and societal security as a response strategy to the huge threats offered by the nation’s borders (Ackleson, 2002). This article will thereof be very useful in the research as it will facilitate the painting of a clear picture of the relationship between the society, and the border security policies and strategies after 9/11. This way, it will be possible to assess the implications of new policies on other things such as the movement and flow of goods of people between borders.
Warner, J. (2010). US border security: A reference handbook. ABC-CLIO.
This book contains a wealth of information on US Border security. The book looks at the history of border security in the United States with specific reference to Mexico and Canada. The author looks at how border security issues have evolved over the years and the factors that have contributed to this evolution. In addition, the book also explores the policies that have been beneficial to all countries involved when it comes to border security and those that have hurt the relationship between countries. A significant portion of the book is dedicated to border security strategies and policies post 9/11. One specific area that the author explores and that will be of significant value to this research is the challenge faced by enforcers of border security issues when it comes to maintaining a balance between prevention of illegal weapon and terrorist incursions and the maintenance of flow of goods and individuals. Warner (2010) contends that the United States is still not sure of how to enact an effective border security strategy that will be able to prevent incursion of illegal drugs, weapons and aliens and at the same time ensure that the flow of goods and individuals continues.
Andreas, P. (2003). A Tale of Two Borders: The US-Mexico and US-Canada Lines After 9/11. Center for Comparative Immigration Studies.
This article explores the changes that have been witnessed at the two major international border in the United States; the Canadian Border and Mexican Border. The authors look at how different border security policies and strategies have been actualized at the two border points. In addition, the author looks at the implications that these new border security policies and strategies have had on these borders and in fact on the relationship between the United States and these countries. A large section of this article is spent discussing some of the counterproductive consequences that have emerged at both border points and how they have affected the movement of goods and people between the two countries. One of the counterproductive consequences of new border security strategies and policies was the emergence of highly sophisticated and skilled smuggling groups that can smuggle people into the United States using the most devious means with a high probability of some of them being terrorists (Andreas, 2003). Therefore, in one way or another, stricter border security policies have accentuated the problem of organized crime that is higher in magnitude than was previously observed. Therefore, the authors attempt to establish whether the positives from the new border policies and strategies after 9/11 on the two borders outweighs the negatives. Once again, this article will be very beneficial to the research. It will enable the research to establish the positives, and the negatives of the post 9/11 border security issues and whether these new policies, and strategies can, therefore, be considered to be positive or not. Therefore, it will be possible to propose security solutions that ensure that illegal incursion of people, weapons and drugs is curbed and that the legal movement of goods and people across the borders is not curbed.

References

Ackleson, J. (2005). Border security technologies: Local and regional implications. Review of policy research, 22(2), 137-155.
Adelman, H. (2002). Refugees and border security post-September 11. Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees, 20(4).
Ackleson, Jason. "Constructing security on the US–Mexico border." Political Geography 24.2 (2005): 165-184.
Andreas, P. (2003). A Tale of Two Borders: The US-Mexico and US-Canada Lines After 9/11. Center for Comparative Immigration Studies.
Warner, J. (2010). US border security: A reference handbook. ABC-CLIO.