Introduction
The homeland in the United States has exponentially heightened the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operations and its historic mission framework because of increased threats to border security. The nation’s strategies on border control have switched its focus from drug trafficking and immigration to include efforts on counter-terrorism following the 9/11 attack. Multinational terrorist and criminal groups have constantly abused fragile governments, mainly of developing states in Honduras, Guatemala, and EL Salvador (Cheatham & Roy, 2019). Due to the increased flow of immigrants through the US-Mexico border in immense caravans, the DHS has been unable to efficiently arrest, detain, process and deport the immigrants who entered America illegally. That led to a border crisis due to the United States’ misalignment of all-inclusive strategies, goals, resources, and concepts concerning border checks. Following the post-September 11, 2001 attack, border checks have intensified to address various homeland security problems, including international organized crime, illegal immigration, and terrorist activities (Cheatham & Roy, 2019). To address these concerns, America uses the grand strategy to define its prime goals and outline how the present government and its departments seek to achieve these objectives.
Background
Immigration and Security
Border security and immigration are contradicting issues and have constantly created a crisis for United States lawmakers. Generally, the concepts of border control are imposed to safeguard the residents of America from illegal drugs and criminals, among other nefarious acts, including terrorism. That also limits the movement of goods and humans across global borders. On the flip side, America hosts many foreigners who have made notable achievements in the country that boost economic expansion and wealth creation. The predicament between advancing the national ethos of the United States to migrants and securing borders has been politicized in the recent past, even though the United States attempts to strike a balance between advancing border security and healthy immigration.
Origins of American Border Security
The bureaucratic processes are the sources of the governmental entities responsible for immigration enforcement and border security. Moreover, the institutionalization process at the federal government includes formalizing rules and legislation concerning opportunities, threats, and organization of government institutions. To understand the origins of immigration enforcement and border security, some threats that should be outlined include overwhelming numbers of immigrants, shortages in revenue, and insufficient law enforcement. To address these threats, a series of laws have been passed by Congress, resulting in multiple police forces and administrative units (Lewis, 2019). Different vital aspects of the administrative process are inferred by defining the establishment of governmental institutions, thus offering historical context on each national level’s fundamental goals to support the nation’s security.
Literature Review
Homeland security was formed as an immediate response to the 9/11 attack, which an extremist Islamic terrorist organization perpetrated. It was tasked to protect national security and counter-terrorism and safeguard American maritime and land borders. Departments such as Border Protection, US Customs, and Border Patrol in the United States have been battling the enormous arrival of migrant caravans from Central American countries. As a result, in 2019, Donald Trump announced a state emergency regarding the United States’ southern border that permitted the rallying of American troops to help the department of homeland security (Schwab, 2018). During the first one hundred years of American history, the nation lacked adequate border checks and immigration strategies at the national level (Halchin & Relyea, 2021). Nevertheless, the United States relied on state and local governments to manage immigration.
Government reports are invaluable sources of the current literature concerning the immigration and security crisis at the United States’ southern border. America has faced a massive influx in unauthorized migrant apprehension since 2014, according to the reports in the financial year 2019 (US Department of Homeland Security, 2019). A vast majority of them apprehended striving to enter America’s southwest border unlawfully were single women, family units, and unaccompanied foreign children, mainly from South and Central American nations such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. In addition, many migrant caravans used Mexico – United States border from the Northern Triangle. That enormous migrant influx led to humanitarian, political, operational, and organizational crisis experiences along the United States’ southern borders.
The migrants in the Northern Triangle of Central America were escaping a way of life dominated by systemic violence resulting from insecurity. The leading causes of mass immigration, according to the authors, were the hope of reunifying with family members already in America, insecurity and violence in the Northern Triangle, and economic growth in the nation. However, the root cause of these factors may be the need for an efficient state government (Meyer & Taft-Morales, 2019). The literature on border control and borders shows a crucial quandary between border security and how it impedes globalization growth by restraining the movement of goods and individuals.
Evaluation of the Current Border Security Strategies
The federal agencies affected mainly by the National Security Strategy in America include the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security. These units have strategies that outline their capabilities, and each organization needs more workforce, assets, and budget resources. The national security strategy defines the security concerns of the nation at the national level and outlines how the government will meet these concerns (Cadman, 2019). According to the strategy, the main pillars of national security interests include advancing America’s prosperity, securing the homeland, promoting American influence, and maintaining peace through strength. Protecting the American lifestyle, securing the homeland, and safeguarding the American residents begins with reinforcing control over the American borders, confronting threats at the source, and reforming the immigration system.
The top priorities of the Department of Homeland security include preventing terrorism, taking on the responsibility of addressing emergencies, transport, and border security, and protecting infrastructure and information analysis. It was officially created in 2003 as a direct response to the 9/11 attack and has managed to confront many security threats because of its specialized and unique agencies (Cadman, 2019). For the department to carry out its mission effectively, its establishment integrated all federal agencies and organizations from the department of justice, treasury, and transport. Another strategy is creating US Customs & Border Protection with a critical mandate of protecting the borders between ports of arrival along the land frontier of America. Furthermore, the United States Coast Guard is the leading maritime regulatory and law enforcement agency that is shaking up the United States port system and the maritime sphere (Biden Jr, 2021). Finally, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement carries out investigations and law enforcement on immigration, whereas the US Citizenship and Immigration Services manages immigration and naturalization programs.
Proposed Solutions/Recommendations
This case study shows that the border disputes have uncovered underlying weaknesses in the current American policy on border management. Moreover, there is an apparent disconnect between border security and immigration policy strategies that create problems in implementation. Therefore, there is a need for incorporating an alternative strategy that harbors multiagency cooperation in America and shall allow for a proactive way of controlling transnational criminal groups, immigration influx, and terrorist activities. One of the recommendations is to allocate finances to increase assets and personnel, mainly at the different government agencies responsible for homeland security (Hatton, 2020). In addition, an increase in technological advances, including motion sensors, infrared and night vision goggles, as well as unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles, would serve as multipliers. There should also be fundamental reforms to the present American immigration system. For example, legislators should agree on an asylum system that provides migrants with humanitarian assistance upon entry and ensures that those who seek asylum will remain civilians, but will not be prosecuted.
Conclusion
Border control and security remain one of America’s top priorities; it is the United States’ sovereign duty to control its borders. The country should balance border control and advance the ethical flow of immigrants to gain from innovation and diversity. By improving the current immigration strategy in America, the country may benefit from healthy immigration while preserving security and safe border management. Moreover, the political class should put aside their differences and develop a framework that enables the United States to take advantage of immigration while preserving its border security. That should be aimed at combating illicit trafficking, terrorist activities, immigration, and organized crime. Lastly, a proactive and cohesive border security strategy should be developed and focus on threats before they reach the United States’ borders.
References
Biden Jr, J. R. (2021). Interim national security strategic guidance. Executive office of the President Washington DC. Web.
Cadman, D. (2019). An excellent report on the illusory and easily politicized nature of border security metrics. Center for Immigration Studies. Web.
Cheatham, A., & Roy, D. (2019). Central America’s turbulent northern triangle. Council on Foreign Relations. Web.
Halchin, L. E., & Relyea, H. C. (2021). National emergency powers. Library of Congress Washington Dc. Web.
Hatton, T. J. (2020). Asylum migration to the developed world: Persecution, incentives, and policy. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 34(1), 75-93. Web.
Lewis, T. G. (2019). Critical infrastructure protection in homeland security: Defending a networked nation. John Wiley & Sons.
Meyer, P. J., & Taft-Morales, M. (2019). Central American migration: Root causes and US policy. Congressional Research Service, 27. Web.
Schwab, W. A. (2018). Dreams derailed: Undocumented youths in the Trump era. University of Arkansas Press. Web.
US department of homeland security. (2019). The DHS Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2020-2024. Web.