TERRORISM AND BORDER CONTROL

Terrorism and Border Control

Terrorism and Border Control

Introduction

Border security and the threat of international terrorism are issues of intense congressional concern, as is evidenced by recent congressional hearings held to examine these issues in the 107th Congress. The challenge for policy makers is to provide for a level of border security that is commensurate with threats from abroad, while facilitating legitimate cross-border travel and commerce, as well as, protecting civil liberties.

A number of federal agencies work in tandem to provide border security. The State Department and the federal inspection services,2 principally the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Customs Service, have long maintained lookout books for the purpose of excluding “undesirable” persons, including suspected terrorists, from entry into the United States. The exclusion of persons from entry into the United States for ideological or political beliefs, however, has long been a source of controversy.

While it is clearly within the public interest and the federal government's mandate to exclude persons who are intent on inciting or engaging in terrorist activities, the determination of who may be a member or supporter of a foreign terrorist organization and, therefore, inadmissible is ultimately a subjective consideration made by intelligence analysts and consular officers and based on the best information available. As such, these considerations are likely to be controversial and change over time.

Discussion

The problem of the border is in regard to the impact of 11 September significantly. Because the United States is a great goal, the limits have to be questioned. Terrorists are often smuggled into the States from either Mexico or Canada (Emerson, 2000). Therefore, creep with the threat of criminals flee to Canada for asylum, and the threat of cooperatives in the United States of Getting Past the Canadian border goes on, the U.S. borders are certainly problematic.

The Mexican border is even more vulnerable. So far the authorities have not been able to find a solution to effect, in part because it is between the different jurisdictions in relation to the fight against international crime and to monitor violations of the U.S. border. During the last decade, small initiatives have been implemented in relation to the limits, especially in the south. Nevertheless, both the political parties not to deal effectively with this issue one would be for all. For conservatives, the closure of the boundaries of political suicide, so in fear of what the Liberals they would as an anti-label Hispanic. Not Democratic politicians give in this matter the critical attention it needs to block fear of the loss of the large Hispanic vote.

In 1994, the southern border in a manner as to constitute a single, seamless entity treated ("National", 2002). Enforcement consisted of activities in ports-of-entry area and also the utilization of a phased approach, which started in the southwest, and will not be ready until the control nationwide (2002) is reached. Some operations target problem areas, and in 1994, Operation Gatekeeper was launched and with the coverage of five miles from ...