Despite the effort of the immigrants, the wall will make it more difficult for them to cross into the United States. Priscilla Alvarez, an assistant editor for The Atlantic, explains, "For example, the San Diego sector, where the prototypes have been built, [apprehension numbers] dropped from 560,000 in 1992 to 68,000 in 2010. Notably, however, the number of border apprehensions is also on the decline" (4). This proves that the wall will, in fact, stop immigrants from crossing over into the United States. Regardless, immigrants will still find a way into the country. When a double layer fencing was enforced near San Diego, "The apprehensions shifted dramatically away from the areas guarded by western stations at Imperial Beach and Chula Vista, …show more content…
America is considered to be the "melting pot of the world" and was built from the lives of immigrants; rather than continuing to let others "discover a new world", the border wall will prevent others from what settling Americans were granted. In 1886 the Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by France as a sign of friendship and thanks for openly accepting all immigrants no matter what nationality. Now, immigrants are looked at as pests and a threat to American's way of life. Most often those crossing over the US-Mexico border are from poor, violent, or war-torn countries where they have no chance of bettering their lives; their only hope is to escape to a different country in order to continue their survival. Jakota Herring, a psychotherapist who writes for Delmarva Now, …show more content…
The wall will help control the number of illegal immigrants coming into the country and ensure they go through the correct legal processes while also ensuring the safety of both American and Mexican citizens. Paul Sperry, a writer for the New York Post, explains, "Before 2010, federal data show the border city was mired in violent crime and drug smuggling, thanks in large part to illicit activities spilling over from the Mexican side. Once the fence went up, however, things changed almost overnight. El Paso since then has consistently topped rankings for cities of 500,000 residents or more with low crime rates, based on FBI-collected statistics" (2). Due to a fence going up on the US-Mexico border, El Paso is looked at as a model town and a prime example of what many of the border towns could turn into with the construction of the wall. However, the border wall is conclusively against Mexicans and based on racist mindsets. Frank Daniel, a writer for Reuters.com, writes, "Shortly after the wall was built, Juarez was plunged into a hellish war between cartels that made it the murder capital of the world, while El Paso remained the safest U.S. city of its size" (2). Though the wall may help one side of the border the other side could, in the end, face unfortunate
After, Mexico gained Independence from Spain in 1821, the era following this left Mexico in a poor political, social, and economic condition. Which resulted in a long lasting feeling of resentment towards the United States. As, both countries being in different positions socio-economically the Mexican-American war began in the year of 1846. Throughout the war in Mexico the president was changed about seven times on the other hand, the United States who was in a dynamic period prior to the Civil War was focused mostly on spreading Anglo America. The United States took advantage of Mexico lacking a centralized, strong leader. While gaining the necessary political and symbolic tools from the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 and the Manifest
Lourdes Medrano is a strong advocate for immigration reform to strengthen the border and the security manning the border. She supports her argument by showing how President George W. Bush’s surge on the US-Mexican border. President Bush doubled the man power along the border, while leading the technological advance on the border. Medrano shows how President Bush brought immigration reform into the spotlight, when roughly 1.6 million immigrants where entering the US illegally. Now the number is historically lower at 356,873 immigrants. The budget for the border patrol has been steadily increasing 1.1 billion in 2001 to 3.5 billion in 2012. Medrano presents how President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act in 2006, which authorized 700 miles of fencing. This his directly contributed to 651 miles of fencing created by 2012. Surge on immigration reform has also doubled the man power from 2001 to 2012, which is exactly what President Bush envisioned. With the border patrol now being a division of Homeland Security and help from the national guard, they have grown much bigger then what they once were. Even the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says that “our borders have, in fact, never been stronger.”
In this CAP, I will address both sides of the argument over the introduction of a wall built on the southern border of the U.S. The U.S borders with Mexico, which spans over 2,000 miles from California to Texas. Issues have arisen with not having a secure border, which includes: illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and other breaches that reduce our overall security. George W. Bush, signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which mandated the construction of almost 700 miles of fences along the Mexican border. This act also introduced the expansion of vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and technological systems designed to monitor the boundary. The current fencing has two sections. The primary fencing, which is typically 18 feet high, while the secondary
Jeff Corwin stated that “If this border wall actually happens, it will be an environmental catastrophe. Essentially, what it’s doing is cutting through nature’s bridge, which connects Central America to North America and South America.” Which in many cases this can be supported but then again many people work very hard to become a citizen in the United States for many to come across the border to get here illegally and to most this is unfair. To make another main statement given the rising global instability in North Korea and the Middle East with a strong and supportive border it would be harder for terrorist to get their hands on biological, chemical or radiological weapons. With an insecure border it makes it easier for them to bring them into the United States and launch a devastating attack on the United States.
In his essay, “The Fence of Lies,” Mario Vargas Llosa explores the potential consequences of building a wall across the Mexican-American border. He argues that, if built, the wall would be ineffective and a waste of resources. He proposes that the money allotted for the border wall be used instead to offer better job opportunities to Latin American citizens within their own borders. However, this proposal is unrealistic as it offers no real solutions to the economic problem of illegal immigration, nor is it an effective plan.
In previous years, many countries and territories around the world have attempted to build walls, and many have had very much success. For example, Most of the walls built after World War 2 and the Cold War still exist today. There were a total of 110 walls built between that time period. Professor Nazli Avdan led a study that had a goal of identifying if a border wall reduced or increased the risk of a transnational terrorist attack. This study found that since the year 1900, transnational terrorist attacks have seen a thirteen percent annual decrease in countries with border walls (Border fences reduce...attacks). This has been a real focal point that President Donald Trump has used to get people to agree with him. Another reason of his includes the disrupting of the funneling of illicit money and drugs into the United States of America (Border fences reduce...attacks). The bonus of the building of the wall is that it will be a visible sign of the government taking action.
‘Will Trump’s Wall between Mexico and the US Actually Work?’ is an article written by Daniel Wagner. During his article, he used ethos, logos, pathos as well as deductive and inductive reasoning to support his argument that, for security considerations, it is necessary to build a wall between Mexico and the US. (2016).
Although a border wall may make it more difficult for people to cross into the US illegally, it can’t completely prevent it. All it takes is an unsupervised hole in the wall for people to pass through. So, there are better ways to prevent illegal immigration. Instead of spending 25 billion dollars on building a wall, why don’t we focus on higher security measures on the border. For example, there could be more surveillance on the border and a more in depth immigration process could be established. So, even though a border wall would make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to pass through, establishing higher security measures could be just as productive and less expensive as
For centuries ordinary citizens of the world have left the only homes they’ve ever known and ventured to lands that promised the opportunities that their homeland lacked. Immigration has been a part of American culture since the very beginning when The Mayflower landed in Jamestown. In fact, the United States had no federal laws restricting immigration until 1875. (https://openborders.info/us-specific-pro-immigration-arguments/) So from 1620 until 1875, two hundred fifty-five years, there were open borders. As a blossoming country, we welcomed those from all over, allowing them to freely come into the country without an ounce of paperwork and make a home. We are a nation of immigrants, and the fact that in the last century we’ve closed our doors to so many people is a shame.
One of the most divisive stories in the news today, literally and figuratively is the border wall that the Trump administration is trying to put up. Despite some of the more negative aspects of this plan, there is a silver lining to this wall. For one thing, immigrants cross the Border whether there’s a wall or not, and nothing is more disconcerting than trying to go about your day and having to bear witness to the victims of Border Patrol. Also, the Border Wall is attempting to slow down the rate of illegal activity and raise the level of documentation throughout America. Despite the fact that it seems stereotypical or narrow-minded to say that a lot of unqualified people are sneaking into the US, Daniel Horowitz made an excellent point when he said, “It has been said that no fence can stop the determination of illegal immigrants seeking job prospects or drug running and human trafficking opportunities.”(www.procon.org). We can’t ignore the gracity of such a massive project; therefore, we must acknowledge the Pros… but in the same sense we must recognize the
As previously established, the United States, a country with borders stretching over thousands of miles, lacks the capacity to fully observe and protect every corner of its territory. Some individuals seem unmoved by so many undocumented persons entering the country, stating that “borders should generally be open and… people should normally be free to leave their country of origin and settle in another…” (Higgins 528). However, these proponents of open borders neglect to recognize that as hundreds of illegal immigrants cross the borders, the issue of terrorism and overall safety becomes a major concern. Without undergoing the proper restrictions and precautions required to enter the United States, these illegal immigrants could potentially be a major threat to the country. So in order to decrease these Terrisits attacks in the United States, we need to strengthen the border security. Because of the events of 9/11 and the expanding population of displaced people, the legislature of the United States has consistently expanded its endeavors to upgrade national security over the previous years. The Secure Fence Act of 2006, marked into law by George W. Shrubbery, ordered the development of 652 miles of wall along our Southern fringes. What's more, as of February 2012, DHS has finished 651 miles of obstructions. As per DHS, the quantity of Border Patrol specialists
I would love to find out the different explanations for the border wall and how people really perceive the wall. My research question would be if the border wall between the United States and Mexico was built for protection or status of the United States and if it is truly moral for the ones that are being affected by it. First, I would conduct my research by doing a literature review. Articles to books, understanding the thoughts of many different writers of the border wall, seeing it from different perspectives. I would study the history of the border walls throughout the world and how they relate to our border wall today. I would want to be able to fully understand my subject, inside and out. I would also conduct my research through surveys of people throughout the United States and Mexico. Asking them their opinion on the wall, why they think that way and do they believe the wall to be moral for the ones who are physically affected by it. I would go through many “types” of people from politician to farmers. I understand that all opinions are biased due to the location of living, background, political standing and employment.
Implementing stringent security controls along the borders is likely to reduce the influx of illegal immigration into the United States. With the increased border security, the American government could have helped alleviate the occurrence of the 9/11 bombing. Though this strategy is essential in alleviating the influx of illegal immigrants to certain geographic areas, increased border controls in these locations have made other, less controlled areas of the border more vulnerable. Rising crime rates, discarded debris, increased apprehension rates, and growing public scrutiny in these less secure areas provide clear evidence that border security is at once a social, an economic, and a national security issue.
“In 2014, 5.8 million unauthorized immigrants from Mexico lived in the U.S.,” according to Pew Research Center (Krogstad). Regulating the number of illegal immigrants from entering the United States has become an increasingly significant issue for the federal government’s agenda after, the number of unauthorized immigrants reached a peak in 2007 at 12.2 million, when this group made up 4% of the U.S. population (Krogstad). An abundance of proposed solutions have been offered to limit the steadily increasing number of illegal immigrants from reaching American soil, such as: mandating E-verify, a system that determines whether or a not a person is eligible to work in the United states, strengthening border security, and fortifying interior enforcement measures in the United States (Illegal Immigration and Border Security). Another major plan sources from President Donald Trump, who hopes to build a wall spanning between the United States and Mexico. This idea has ignited numerous opposing arguments that have picked out its irrationalities, and display how Donald Trump’s proposal to erect a wall generates more complications than benefits.
In addition, the Secure Fence Act mandated that 854 miles of fencing be built. According to Duncan Hunter, however, the State Representative of the 52nd district of California, “The Department of Homeland Security has indicated its intention to build 370 miles of border fencing even though the Secure Fence Act calls for more than double that length.” And on May 10, 2011 in El Paso, Texas, President Obama stated “the border fence is now basically complete.” (Krauthammer)