Canada's Border Policy

There are multiple political forces that are playing a part in the border security/illegal immigration controversy. The current administration has publicly made reference that they will not revisit securing the border without a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The conservatives believe that in order to have a discussion regarding immigration reform, securing the border must come first. Depending upon which “side of the isle” that a person takes regarding the securing of the border, they fall in two categories – the conservatives mainly reside on the pros, and the liberal party tends to side on the cons of building a fence.

This paper will be discussing the responsibilities and duties of the U.S. Department of Borders Protection (CBP). It will be explaining if what the CBP do is effective and how so. Also it will be explaining how they prevent terrorist attacks and how they work with other law enforcement agencies.

The Unlawful border crossing in the U.S. Southern border has been of political interest for the past decades. It has been the primary source of the illegal trades into U.S. from Mexico. Despite the government efforts to end the act, there have not been long-term solutions to the Menace. The vital approach is to understand the structural nature of the border and the socio-cultural nature of the inhabitants that facilitates the illegal act across the border. The lawful bill in place seems not to offer a practical solution to combating the problem. The existing border and immigration policies should be revised to provide a possible settlement to the illegal trade across the borders. Also, the border barriers should be adequately constructed and guarded with border security officials. Another crucial area for consideration is the cooperation between the two countries in combating the illegal trade across the border. A cross-border initiative like Merida by President Bush would have been the significant initiative in promoting the U.S. Mexico cross-border collaboration in combating the Illegal Border Crossings. Due to the well-coordinated nature of these criminal networks, full federal cooperation like Boarder Enforcement Security Taskforce (BEST) should act in combating the organized gangs.

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

There exists a problem in America today that cannot fail to enter the houses of every citizen, influence the thoughts of every individual, and stir the wild imaginations of every free thinker: the problem of illegal aliens traversing the sacred borders of our beloved country. Certain individuals have recently proposed ideas regarding this that have entranced the American people, advocating building a wall separating the United States from its long-time neighbor and trade-partner Mexico. However, after much consideration and calculation I have found his idea grossly mistaken in its computation. A simple wall will be insufficient and far too conservative to solve this crisis of borders. Therefore, in response to America's growing interest in

Canada’s immigration system lacks heart, critics say, is an article filled with professional opinions and debates. These debates and opinions are regarding the humanitarian and compassionate side of immigration and refugee law in Canada. The article’s main purpose is to expose how Canada has changed its compassion for acceptance of refugees in recent years.

As recent as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, U.S. citizens have realized we are vulnerable to attacks within the United States. This realization is a valid concern because terrorists could also gain access through this border. The U.S. Border Patrol has a term called other-than-Mexican (OTM). Buchanan (2006) stated, “A growing number of OTMs caught at the border now come from the Middle East” (p. 15). It is important to remember that these Middle Easterners are caught at other points of entry, and not just the U.S.-Mexico border. This does show a significant paranoia that many Americans have. This paranoia can lead to Americans supporting increased border protection. Governor’s Richardson, Napolitano, and Mr. Buchanan all share a similar point of view regarding more security on our border. Not all Americans share this opinion.

In light of the September 11th tragedy the balance between open border commerce and tighter security must and will be reevaluated. As it appears now, all the terrorists were foreign. Some of these persons had entered the US via Canada. Some of the terrorists had been in and out of the country more than once and many had taken several flights each prior to the attack. Most of the terrorists had arrived in the US legally, taking advantage not just of loose security measures, but of lax immigration policies.i

many critics point out the illegal drugs are smuggled across our nation especially the Southwestern border and it is in wholesale quantity that the flow of illegal border crosser. Although it has been reduced in recent years, it is still significant problem for border security. Current administration takes the opposite side of this. They are saying that "they are working with Mexico government through the' Twenty first century border initiative', to improve coordination in planning, financing, building, and operating bi-national infrastructure; to enhance cross-border commerce and ties while managing our common threats; and to augment law enforcement cooperation to disrupt 'criminal flows' and enhance public safety. Also, The Administration is working with Canada to enhance joint law enforcement efforts and bolster cross-border security operations. Through the 'United States – Canada Beyond the Border Action Plan', Canadian and United State law enforcement are forging new ways of sharing resources, personnel, and information to uncover and disrupt threats that endanger the security of both the United States and Canada."( Border Security: DHS Progress and Challenges in Securing the U.S. Southwest and Northern Borders). It is creating a twenty first century border which is more secure now than it has ever been. Neither side in this debate seems interest in defining what a secure border means and without a definition of secure border, it is hard to say who is

Borders are ubiquitous; some are physical, others are not; some are rigid, others are not, but all have the same purpose, that is, to prevent two groups from interacting in a particular way. The border that exists between the United States and Mexico is no different, as author Leslie Marmon Silko can attest to in her work Border Patrol State. Even though her work is dated by roughly two decades, her message still persists, perhaps more clearly now than ever, in light of presidential candidate, Donald Trump’s, proposal to construct a multi-billion dollar physical border separating Mexico and the US. This topic is analyzed by comedian John Oliver’s in his piece, Border Wall where he, similarly to Silko, describes the asinine struggle the government

This book talks about the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and how this terrorist attack caused the United States of America to seal off borders and take emergency precautions against all other nations by stepping up the security of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The book also talks a lot about how immigration is becoming a security problem.

It is also a dynamic border with accessibility and security requirements that vary significantly with the seasons; portions of the border requiring maritime transit in the summer become passable by vehicles in the winter. The diversity of this border environment is unified by one common feature: the partnership and alliance between the United States and Canada is managing, monitoring, and securing it.

Although written in 2003, Andreas’ article “Redrawing the Line” provides an interesting perspective into national sovereignty and contemporary anxiety regarding American border security, specifically as applied to Mexico. Poignantly, the author states that no state will ever ensure complete control of its territorial integrity by sealing its borders (109). However, Andreas contends that this reality does not, in fact, imply that “states have ‘lost control’ over their borders” (110). Furthermore, he offers an interesting perspective into the different types of borders, which he categorizes as military, economic, and police (85). Each type of border, and its associated security, maintain their own costs and benefits. For example, although strict

The open border paradox is illustrated by the approach of Canada. In this situation, Canada has a long border that would be challenging to secure with very little concern for mass immigration across it. In fact, Canada encourages immigration and even multiple-citizenship holders. This is in direct contrast with the United States who is currently pursuing the hardened border paradox. In this situation, physical barriers are being erected to gain as much control over the land border as possible. Increasing congestion at the border reduces the efficiency of the barriers in achieving their purposes. Part of the problem is that hardening the borders is in direct conflict with the stated trade positon and intention of reducing restrictions on

Initially, borders were used to define a state's territory, which in return was used to measure a state's power (Madsen 280). Within a territory a state is said to have sovereignty over the land and the people it inhabits. The concept of state sovereignty can be attributed to nationalism. As nationalism has risen in importance since the mid-18th century, so have borders. Up until the Europeans arrived in the Americas in 1492, borders were non-existent, at least not in a modern definition of a state border. However, since then, there has been a severe transformation of the definition of borders, but more importantly, also in the existence of borders in the Americas. “Today borders are increasingly analyzed in terms of their social implications as instruments of state power and reflection of societal discourse and prejudice” (Maden 280). The “United States of America has 7,400 miles of international boundary” dividing U.S. territory from Canada in the North and Mexico in the South. (Butts 383). While the border policy has toughened since the 1980s/1990s due to Nixon's “War on Drugs” policy, border control has become even more restrictive after 9/11 (Tonra 221, 239-240). One of the aftermaths of 9/11 was the enactment of the Home Security Act in 2001, and the resulting establishment of the Department of Home Security in 2002 (Butts 374, EagleWomen 33-34, Singleton 40, Tonra 221). According to Attorney General John Ashcroft “our homeland security remains threatened so long as