Protecting the American Border

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Recommended: Human trafficking and slavery outline the scope of the issue, domestically and globally

The largest task for the US government is protecting the Northern American borders with Canada and Mexico as well all ports of entry. Without the proper border security, we cannot have a secure nation. After 9/11, the government spent billions of dollars upgrading the nation’s security systems but borders security remains weak. The borders are an unobstructed point of entry for illegal immigrants, drugs, weapons, money laundering, human trafficking and terrorist groups. The security challenges along the border offer a variety of issues. The current model in use to protect and deter illegal immigrates, criminals, drug lords, terrorist and human trafficking is ineffective. It is the government’s responsibility to stop these illegal activities and provide protection from all the current problems. The US must set the goal to tighten its border security to decrease the free flow of illegal activities and potential terrorist and WMD’s. This paper will highlight the current problems with border security and the illegal activities that surround the border. History The history of the US borders and border security agencies started after the American Revolution war 1783. After the war, the US established partial borders, but not all of the boundaries we know today. The border did not happen overnight but was a process of exploring, and expanding into the nation we know today. History shows the struggle the US faced securing the borders and maintaining them. In July, 1789 congress passed the Tariff Act that created the first department of customs controlled by the treasury department. With the increasing demands of the border, the treasuries choose to create the Division of Customs in 1875. In 1927, the division of customs formed the B... ... middle of paper ... ...lding the Homeland Security State. NACLA Report On The Americas, 41(6), 15-20. Mora, Edwin. (May 8, 2012). GAO: New Border Patrol Strategy Lacks Measures to Gauge Effectiveness. CNSNews.com. Retrieved on November 11, 2012. From http://cnsnews.com/ news/article/gao-new-border-patrol-strategy-lacks-measures-gauge- effectiveness-0. Realuyo C.B It’s All about the Money - Wilson Center | Independent ... (N.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/Realuyo_U.S.-Mexico_Money_Launde Salett, Elizabeth Pathy, LICSW (2007) “Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery Practice Update: Human Rights and International Affairs;” accessed online at: http://www.apcss.org Warde, I. (2008). The price of fear. Los Angeles: University of California Press. Whitlock, C. (2008, August 24). Al-Qaeda masters terrorism on the cheap. The Washington Post, Pg. A01.

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