Introduction
The Great Wall at the border that separates USA and Mexico is one of the largest barriers between two countries in the world. The wall is a series of barriers meant to minimize illegal border crossings into the US through the southern border entry. The US government has had to contend with a high flow of illegal immigrants from Latin America, who use the southern border to enter the country illegally.
There are also many law enforcement officers who patrol the border and they apprehend any illegal immigrants that manage to permeate these barriers. The border wall traverses the states of Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California. This paper will assess the impact of the border wall and how it has resolved the problem of illegal immigrants entering the country (Sorkin 54).
Illegal Immigration
The four states border states where these barriers have been erected, have faced serious security and labor challenges due to illegal immigration. Undocumented workers who come into the country illegally are difficult to track down and they are lured into crime, prostitution and other undesirable activities. The border wall helps the government to reduce smuggling of people across the border who violate immigration laws to enter the country.
Therefore, the human wall has made it more difficult for human smugglers to take advantage of gullible immigrants who seek employment opportunities across the border. The barrier covers about 690 miles of border territory which was frequently used in the past to bring in drugs, criminals and undocumented workers into the country. The government’s decision to erect this barrier was noble because it has improved public safety in the country (Pike).
Impact of Drug Cartels
Large areas of Mexican territory which borders the U.S. are controlled by drug and human smuggling cartels. The Mexican side of the border is one of the most insecure areas in the world despite its close proximity to American territory. There are many illegal drug cartels in Mexico battling for control to smuggle drugs into the U.S. because of its negative reputation as the largest drug market in the whole world.
Some government and law enforcement officials on the Mexican side of the border have been compromised by these drug cartels. They are either unwilling or unable to stop powerful drug cartels from using the country as a major conduit for drug supplies targeting consumers in the U.S (Brown 79). Therefore, by erecting this barrier, the government has shown its willingness to safeguard the welfare of its citizens at whatever cost.
National Security
Law enforcement agencies find it difficult to stop Hispanic gangs from engaging in criminal activities in the U.S. These gangs are involved in different criminal activities and are affiliated with other criminal groups in Mexico and other Latin American countries. The barrier has made it more difficult for criminal gang members to come into the country to engage in criminal activities.
The barrier also makes it possible for the government to eliminate any form of foreign aggression on American home soil. It makes it more difficult for hostile foreign elements to enter the country and attack American citizens using the southern border (Karaim 753). The terrorist threat against the US is real and as such the government needs to take all necessary precautions to preempt any terrorist attack from happening again in the country.
Works Cited
Brown, Wendy. Walled States, Waning Sovereignty. New York: Zone Books, 2010. Print.
Karaim, Reed. “America’s Border Fence: The Issues.” CQ Researcher 18.32 (2008): 746-767.
Pike, John. “US- Mexico Border Fence/ Great Wall of Mexico Secure Fence.” Global Security. Org (2011): n. pag.
Sorkin, Michael. Indefensible Space: The Architecture of the National Security State. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.