Introduction
“All sovereign nations exercise authority over their borders to prevent prohibited items or merchandise from entering and to ensure compliance with applicable restrictions” (CBP 1999).
The objective of border control is to facilitate the free flow of legitimate goods and people across borders while observing and enforcing the rules and regulations of both countries on either side of that border. This complicated endeavour involves numerous challenges for policy makers and governments which has often compelled states to negotiate in advance for certain concessions. Border complexities involve multifaceted trade agreements, government policies, economic considerations, and security concerns, while simultaneously ensuring the American …show more content…
Typically, closed borders appear where there is a marked difference in politics, economies, culture, or language between the bordering nations. These conditions exist on the United States/Mexico border and have consequently led to tougher laws, an increase in physical barriers, and the substantial escalation of border enforcement. According to Walter Ewing, a Research Associate at the Immigration Policy Center, the Border Patrol budget quadrupled from 1993 to 2005 and the number of Border Patrol agents nearly tripled (Ewing 2007). This intensification in border enforcement had the adverse effect on free trade and open markets and created negative consequences with respect to …show more content…
Since a portion of the US economy still depends on low wage workers, and Mexico has a high rate of unemployment, conditions are ripe for illegal immigration to flourish. Equally as influential as illegal migrants is the high demand for drugs in the US. This demand is adequately supplied by Mexican drug smugglers because of the lax attitude and unwillingness of politicians in Mexico to carry out any type of harsh drug enforcement. Both illegal immigration and drug smuggling have become sophisticated operations that provide a source of income, albeit an illegal source, to those who are willing to accept the risks. As long as the smuggling of drugs and immigrants is mutually beneficial in some respect, this smuggling relationship will continue. The reality of closed borders between the US and Mexico has only been to create a more lucrative market for underground operations to prosper while hindering the legitimate flow of
“All sovereign nations exercise authority over their borders to prevent prohibited items or merchandise from entering and to ensure compliance with applicable restrictions” (CBP 1999).
The objective of border control is to facilitate the free flow of legitimate goods and people across borders while observing and enforcing the rules and regulations of both countries on either side of that border. This complicated endeavour involves numerous challenges for policy makers and governments which has often compelled states to negotiate in advance for certain concessions. Border complexities involve multifaceted trade agreements, government policies, economic considerations, and security concerns, while simultaneously ensuring the American …show more content…
Typically, closed borders appear where there is a marked difference in politics, economies, culture, or language between the bordering nations. These conditions exist on the United States/Mexico border and have consequently led to tougher laws, an increase in physical barriers, and the substantial escalation of border enforcement. According to Walter Ewing, a Research Associate at the Immigration Policy Center, the Border Patrol budget quadrupled from 1993 to 2005 and the number of Border Patrol agents nearly tripled (Ewing 2007). This intensification in border enforcement had the adverse effect on free trade and open markets and created negative consequences with respect to …show more content…
Since a portion of the US economy still depends on low wage workers, and Mexico has a high rate of unemployment, conditions are ripe for illegal immigration to flourish. Equally as influential as illegal migrants is the high demand for drugs in the US. This demand is adequately supplied by Mexican drug smugglers because of the lax attitude and unwillingness of politicians in Mexico to carry out any type of harsh drug enforcement. Both illegal immigration and drug smuggling have become sophisticated operations that provide a source of income, albeit an illegal source, to those who are willing to accept the risks. As long as the smuggling of drugs and immigrants is mutually beneficial in some respect, this smuggling relationship will continue. The reality of closed borders between the US and Mexico has only been to create a more lucrative market for underground operations to prosper while hindering the legitimate flow of