Individual Work-Week 7
Melissa Moore
Everest College, CPO4003-2
Instructor DePlato
5/29/14

Borders can be real or artificial, but they are basically the lines that separate geographic areas. The borders of the United States for instance, consist of the East and West Coasts which means that we are not a landlocked country. Due to their geography, they would be relatively difficult to penetrate. We also have our Northern and Southern borders which are land borders of considerable length. These borders also contain some very remote areas that can be hard to patrol in order to ensure that these borders are secure. “The northern border, though, is typically seen as a less likely spot for illegal crossings because it borders on a rich country as opposed to a relatively poor one. In these ways, geography determines which U.S. borders are most likely to be crossed illegally” (Inknparkchick, 2012). In most countries, borders are protected by a military or law-enforcement presence of some sort and these countries protect their borders for various reasons. “Borders - particularly national borders - affect travel and migration. People can usually move freely within their own country’s borders, but may not be allowed to cross into a neighboring country” (National Geographic Society, 2014). Each individual country will have its own rules as to who is allowed to travel, work, and live within their borders. Many countries will issue work permits or visas to non-citizens which allows them to work or travel in that country, but they are limited in the type of work they can do and how long they can stay. A very crucial component of a nation’s security is its border control. “For a country the size of the United States, however, the length of its land borders and coastlines poses a significant security challenge” (Rossmo, et al, 2008). Due to the porous nature and geographic range of our borders, criminals such as terrorists, fugitives, illegal migrant workers, and a host of other criminal types have found various ways to enter our country, sometimes with too much ease. The responsibility for securing our land and water borders falls on the shoulders of the U.S. Border Patrol whose job it is to prevent the illegal entry of individuals as well as apprehend those who do manage to get through. In order to do their jobs effectively, they attempt to identify the geographic patterns that illegal immigrants use to gain entry in order to optimize their resources and actions. “The U.S. – Canada border is the longest common border in the world, and it joins two nations that enjoy one of the world’s strongest relationships” (Homeland Security, 2012). The security challenges at this border are unique due to the weather and geography as well as the huge amount of trade and travel between the two countries. These two elements (weather and geography) can either be a help or a hindrance, depending upon ones intentions. The border spans more than 5,500 miles through some varied terrains and climates with areas that can be either vastly unpopulated or metropolitan. On a daily basis we will see $1.5 billion in trade and an estimated 300,000 people cross our northern border and as bilateral trade relationships go, this is the largest in the world. “The DHS Northern Border Strategy (NBS) is the first unified strategy to guide the Department’s policies and operations along the U.S. – Canada border” (Homeland Security, 2012). The strategy for this border is one based upon the premise of the mutually reinforcing elements of travel, security, and lawful trade. As this is a shared border, officials on both sides take every precaution in trying to prevent illegal crossings and/or activities from entering either country, but they must also worry about dangerous goods and diseases. There are three goals for the DHS at this border. They are:
Deter and prevent terrorism and other illegal activity; * Safeguard and facilitate the secure flow of lawful trade and travel; and * Ensure community resilience to natural and man-made disasters. (Homeland Security, 2012). In order to accomplish these goals, there is a lot of cooperation between the two countries in the areas of information sharing and analysis as well as working closely with various sectors that are vital to the management, resiliency, and security of the border. As was noted earlier, being a rich country as opposed to a poor one, our northern border hasn’t posed as much of a problem as our southern border between the U.S. and the country of Mexico. This is a 2,000 mile geo-political divide that poses some unique challenges of its own as, just like our northern border, the geography can either be a help or a hindrance and as our Mexican neighbors are much poorer, they will go to just about any lengths to enter into the United States. While the terrain here can be treacherous, with harsh desert conditions and the Rio Grande River to deal with, huge numbers of illegal immigrants have been able to gain access to the United States. If this can be done by people who are desperate for a better way of life, then people with more dangerous intentions could find this border easy to access as well. There has been a steady increase in both the number of illegal immigrants and the number of deaths in the desert, demonstrating that our current system of border patrol is flawed. An alarming thing to note is that “Mexico is experiencing an influx of Islamic migrants” (Homeland Security Affairs, n.d.). Any potential terrorists could infiltrate this porous border in the same manner that so many of the illegals do. Along with land borders that have to be protected, a nation’s geography includes water and airspace as well. For a nation, the access to water, or lack thereof, “has a powerful impact on its ability to develop and acquire power for territorial security within the international system” (Duncan, et al, 2009, p.250). While oceans and other waterways are extremely important to the trade industry, they can also be convenient access points for the people and illegal activities that can destroy ones national security. Once again, this is an example of “help or hindrance” where geographical issues are concerned. Then we have our airspace. One may not really think about it, but there are boundaries in the airspace over countries as well. Here again, help or hindrance? Travelling by air is extremely convenient for both people and trade, but the events of 9/11, along with numerous other horrific events, have proven that an attack by air can be exercised by a nation, or even individuals, who are bent on their illegal missions. Airspace, in my opinion, could be the most difficult to protect as the boundaries are invisible. “Planes that wander into the airspace of another country, despite the international rules of innocent passage, run the risk of being shot down” (Duncan, et al, 2009, p.251). There is a trick to finding the right balance in protecting airspace as we do not want to unduly impede air commerce, but at the same time, we cannot compromise the safety of a nation. In the United States, “the presence of numerous high profile targets in and around Washington, DC, has raised significant policy concerns over how to effectively defend these sites from possible terrorist threats involving aircraft” (Elias, 2005). Following the attacks of 9/11, special flight rules and restrictions have been contentious due to the impact they have on general aviation operations. There is the need for an adequate balance that protects high profile assets and minimizes economic impacts, meaning that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and other agencies/individuals responsible for protecting our airspace have their work cut out for them. “While security measures are being implemented authorizing certain GA operations within the restricted airspace, curtailing frequent inadvertent violations by unauthorized aircraft that complicate surveillance and defense efforts is an ongoing challenge” (Elias, 2005). As we have seen, the geography of the United States means that we need to be protected by air, land, and water in order to secure our national borders from those who wish to destroy us. While the FAA and its partnering agencies do their parts in our airspace, we have the Border Patrol whose job it is to patrol and protect “nearly 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian international land borders and over 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula and the island of Puerto Rico” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, n.d.). These are agents who work around the clock and in weather conditions and terrains of every type imaginable. Due to the diversity of our terrain, a variety of methods and equipment is utilized by the Border Patrol in order to accomplish its mission. Electronic sensors, video monitors, and night vision scopes are just a small array of the equipment used to detect illegal entries into the United States. Agents will also patrol on foot, but will use boats, vehicles, bicycles, all-terrain vehicles, horses, and even snowmobiles in the attempt to protect our borders. “Since 1924, the Border Patrol has grown from a handful of mounted agents patrolling desolate areas along U.S. borders to today’s dynamic work force of over 21,000 agents at the end of FY 2012” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, n.d.). Efforts include linewatch operations and signcutting, traffic checkpoints, transportation checks, marine patrols, horse and bike patrols, and airspace rules and regulations. It is my opinion that the protection of a nation is an ongoing challenge that will never be perfected as someone will always find a new way to terrorize a nation and its citizens. While the daily advancements in technology may bring about new ways to protect a nation, they also provide those with other intentions new ways to cause death and destruction. Not every single access point into the United States can be protected 24/7/365. “Rising crime rates, discarded debris, increased apprehension rates, and growing public scrutiny in these less secure areas provide clear evidence that border security is at once a social, an economic, and a national security issue” (Homeland Security Affairs, n.d.).

References
Duncan, Jancar-Webster, & Switky (2009). World Politics in the 21st Century, Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
Elias, B. (2005). Homeland Security: Protecting Airspace in the National Capital Region. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RS22234.pdf
Homeland Security (2012). Fact Sheet: 2012 DHS Northern Border Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/news/2012/06/05/fact-sheet-2012-dhs-northern-border-strategy
Homeland Security Affairs (n.d.). Securing the United States – Mexico Border: An Ongoing Dilemma. Retrieved from http://www.hsaj.org/?special:fullarticle=supplement.2.5.html
Inknparkchick (2012). How does geography affect U.S. border security? Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-does-geography-affect-u-s-border- security-356186
National Geographic Society (2014). National Geographic Education. Retrieved from http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/border/?ar_a=1
Rossmo, Thurman, Jamieson, & Egan (2008). Geographic Patterns and Profiling of Illegal Crossings of the Southern U.S. Border. Retrieved from http://www.palgrave-journals.com/sj/journal/v21/n1/full/8350067a.html
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (n.d.). Border Patrol Overview. Retrieved from http://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/overview