The Importance Of Border Patrol

The problem of drugs coming over into the United States from Mexico is not new, but it is serious and in spite of many efforts by American law enforcement and border authorities, it continues day after day. This paper reviews the problem from several perspectives and brings to light attempts the U.S. has made to stop drug trafficking on our border with Mexico. The biggest issue regarding border security is the power of the drug cartels, and the majority of emphasis in this paper is directed towards the cartels.

The United States of America, being a country founded by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are the people who have overstayed the time granted on their US, visa or those who have broken the federal law by crossing the border illegally. Matt O’Brien stated in his article “The government thinks that 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007.”(Para, 2)

The role of the Border Patrol has significantly changed from the past when we look at it today. In the past, Border Patrol has lacked in technology. A lack of technology hinders the agents

Throughout the history of the United States immigration has become apart of our country’s fabric which, began centuries ago. Only to become a hot topic in the US in recent years with its primary focus being illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration is when people enter a country without government permission. As of 2008 the Center for Immigration Studies estimated that there are 11 million illegal immigrants in the US which is down from 2007‘s 12.5 million people. Although the Center for Immigration Studies estimates are very different from other estimates that range from 7 to 20 million. While the Pew Hispanic Center estimated in March of 2009 there are 11.1 million illegal immigrants and that number is from March 2007’s peak of 12

On the South Western border of the United States roughly 2000 immigrants cross the border illegally from Mexico every day. The vast majority of these immigrants are seeking financial security and a safer life in the United States however, some are coming over to traffic weapons and drugs for gangs and cartels. It is these few individuals that have caused the U.S. government to pursue a multi-billion dollar defense along the border.

According to the Pew Research Center, statistics show that in the year of 2014 “There were 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2014” (para. 3). Despite the increasing number the government have went many efforts to try and stop it. Its is said that “ Mexicans make up about half of all

The U.S Border Patrol’s main job is to prevent terrorists, weapons, and illegal aliens from entering the U.S. without identification. They want to make sure that the nation is safe from crimes and attacks that can happen from the South American or Canadian borderline. Border patrollers want to detect and prevent illegal human trafficking, drugs, or species that will cause harm to the country. They have to work day and night to protect their country from harmful people or items.

The United States Border Patrol is a police force located all over America. Most people think the only job Border Patrol has is chasing down immigrants due to the media coverage on the Mexican border. Although it is a big part of the job it is not the only thing done. The main position for agents is in Mexico, another main location is Canada. Between the two locations 21,000 agents patrol 6,000 miles. (Department of Homeland Security, n.d.) The Border Patrol’s keeps illegal people, drugs, and weapons of mass destruction from entering our country. Another major responsibility is to prevent terrorist from trying to cross the border. In order to prevent this from happening Border Patrol have check points with man power alert at all times. Equipped with the best equipment from the government they stop virtually everything crossing. I along with most of the country feel that this is a very important job in the United States.

Never exceeding more than seventy-five guards, this placed them severely understaffed for the need of manpower, but it was reinforced with the help of “Military troops along the southwest border performed intermittent border patrolling…Texas Rangers were also sporadically assigned to patrol duties by the state” (Border Patrol History, 2015). At that time the United States government was more concerned with intercepting enemy communications than they were about illegal entry into the country. However, struck by the realization of how ineffective their efforts were to secure and patrol the border without enforcement between stations; Frank W. Berkshire, the Supervising Inspector, addressed his concerns of uncoordinated efforts in enforcing

Border Patrol and U.S. CustomsBoth Border Patrol and U.S. Customs work together under the same agency, and worktowards the same goal, yet they perform their duty tasks differently. Protecting the nationsborders from drug smuggling, human trafficking, and terrorism is not an easy task to perform.Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs officers perform this risky task on the front line of ourcountry by putting their lives in danger on a daily basis. Although Border Patrol (BP), and U.S.Customs and Border Protection (CBP) differ in work location, and work duties they also sharevarious similarities in pay, benefits, and outcome.The officers working as CBP and agentsworking as BP risk their lives at their work of duty, and they both work towards the

The U.S. Border Patrol started its service for our nation in 1924. Even though some changes have affected every aspect of the operations from its early days, the values, professionalism, honor, integrity, and respect helped shape the Border Patrol from the early years and they still remain the same today. Since the very beginning agents have been patrolling our borders, “Mounted watchmen of the U.S. Immigration Service patrolled the border in an effort to prevent illegal crossings as early as 1904” (Border Patrol History, web). The agent’s efforts were undertaken only when resources permitted. The inspectors were all out of El Paso, Texas, “Though they never totaled more than seventy-five, they patrolled as far west as California trying to restrict the flow of illegal Chinese immigration” (Border Patrol History, web).

United States Border Patrol has been around since 1904 enforcing and regulating laws under the immigration and Nationality Act. U.S. border patrol is now under the Department of Homeland Security, which was created as a response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. Over the years, their jurisdiction and missions have changed to better protect the safety of nation. Although border patrol is a need for any nation, their extensive acceptations to constitutional laws can often be taken advantage of. The mission of the U.S. border patrol should be to prevent illegal aliens, which are a threat to American society, from reaching their purpose. Frequently, their purpose can be confused or executed in a bias manner.

A total of 38,901 Muslim refugees entered the U.S. in 2016, making up 46% of refugees who entered the country. The United States needs to increase border patrol and provide more extensive qualifications for the naturalization process. Consequently, the border patrol has not been able to stop all the immigrants from immigrating illegally. According to “The Truth About Border Security” “We have been able to stop only about 30% of those attempting to cross our border between 1996 and 2009…”. Based on these percentages, we can see how inadequate our border patrol is at controlling our borders. On the same token, we need to reform our naturalization test to enter the U.S. and becoming a citizen. Professor Winke told reporter Sam Harnett, “I think

U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas say they are seeing an increasing amount of illegal immigrants hide inside air flow vents of trucks to try to get past checkpoints undetected.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S. CBP) is one of the oldest law enforcement entities in the U.S., and has a rich history of protecting our borders. A historical overview and understanding of the U.S. Customs origins displays how over the centuries the strategic mission of the CBP has evolved to combat threats of specific time eras. U.S. Customs has grown from collecting of revenue during the 1800s to fighting the War on Drugs, and well into the 21st century where combating terrorism would be yet another mission undertaken by CBP. Without a doubt, the U.S. Customs Service has played an active role in the protection of the nation’s borders against terrorism, criminal drug lords, and even the violation of intellectual property theft.