Securing our Borders Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Securing our Borders - Thesis Example borders with Mexico and Canada. Several sources indicated the need for greater border security through a wide range of technological, legislative, and military interventions (Meyers, 2003; Military Technology, 2010), as well as global agreements (Taylor, 2005). Despite the need of securing the borders, however, there are also calls for the consideration of ethical and human rights dimensions of border security (Arreolo, 2010). The U.S. government is also pressed to consider the rights of poor workers and people searching for an asylum to migrate to the U.S., where they can find shelter, freedom, and livelihood. In addition, some sources argued for the importance of understanding cultural geography, when finding and evaluating solutions to border issues (Arreolo, 2010). The borders are not seen as boundaries by illegal immigrants, but as opportunities for a new and better life (Hemphill, 2009; Huemer, 2010). This paper will explore the literature on the U.S. borders and border securit y. The research questions are: What are some of the strategies that the U.S. government should pursue to enhance border security? Should the government ensure that these interventions are humane and ethical? This paper will discuss existing border patrol strategies. It will also discuss recommended strategies that aim to enhance border security. ... Finally, it examines the ethical implications of border security measures and the need for international efforts for managing borders. The Honey of Illegal and Legal Immigrant Bees One of the primary goals of border security is to control immigration, particularly illegal immigration (Marek, 2007). The U.S. continues to symbolize the land of milk and honey for many people around the world, especially those from the Third World. An estimated 500 million people cross the U.S. borders every year, and this consists of people seeking for employment or business opportunities and refugees, as well as unfavorable border crossers, such as criminals and terrorists (Antal, 2010, p.54). The U.S. prides itself as a democratic front for human rights that include the rights to travel and immigrate to other countries. The U.S., despite immigration controls, accepts more legal immigrants as permanent residents than all other countries combined (Antal, 2010, p.54). In 2008, more than a million immigra nts became natural U.S. citizens (Antal, 2010, p.54). In 2009, the U.S. granted legal immigrant status to 1.1 million immigrants (Antal, 2010, p.54). The U.S. however, also controls the number of legal immigrants, which push some people to resort to illegal immigration methods. Illegal immigration remains as significant concern, since the U.S. cannot realistically put enough people to monitor wide borders. The U.S.-Canada border extends 5,525 miles; while the border with Mexico covers 1,989 miles long (Antal, 2010, p.54). Furthermore, the U.S. also envelops more than 95,000 miles of shoreline, thousands of airports, and 360 naval ports of entry (Antal, 2010, p.54). It is projected that almost 22,000 containers cross these naval