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Thread: 2,000 mile southern border, what about the 95,000 miles of coastline

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  1. #1
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    2,000 mile southern border, what about the 95,000 miles of coastline

    Border security is about much more than physical borders.

    By Daniel M. Gerstein | Contributor April 15, 2016, at 6:00 a.m.[/COLOR]

    (ERIC GAY/AP)

    Building a wall to keep undocumented immigrants and illicit materials from entering the United States has become a hot topic of discussion in this election year. Yet history suggests that a thin brittle line across a shared land border has little chance of success.

    Walls have been a common means of securing borders for centuries. While illegal entry across the U.S. southern border is clearly not a military incursion but instead an economic migration and smuggling problem, perhaps borrowing a few examples from military history might still be instructive. From the Great Wall of China to the French Maginot Line to the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean Peninsula, evidence seems to point to – at least from a narrower military perspective – the ineffectiveness of building "impenetrable" walls. Today, more than a quarter-century after the fall of the Berlin Wall, walls are again being built to stem the flow of refugees across Europe, drawing criticism from many.

    [READ: Ask an Analyst: How Has Obama Changed Immigration Policy?]

    Borders are the physical expression of a nation's sovereignty. The nation's borders consist of the land, air and sea ports and approaches through which flow licit and illicit migrants and goods.

    In total, U.S. borders span 5,500 miles of land to the north, 2,000 miles of land to the south, 95,000 miles of shoreline and over 300 ports of entry.

    The nearly exclusive focus on the southern-border wall reflects a one-dimensional discussion, which fails to account for the full breadth of border issues facing the United States.






    Over time and more prominently since 9/11, America's borders – particularly the southern border – have been reinforced with personnel and technology, including fencing, unmanned aerial systems, mobile radars, aerostats and unattended ground sensors.

    Over 650 miles of physical barriers have been constructed along the southern border in critical trafficking areas at a cost of over $2.4 billion. While arguably more coverage could be deployed, perhaps the more relevant question is how much additional benefit would more enhancements along the border wall have for U.S. border control?


    The answer is, probably not very much. Experience along the U.S. southern border demonstrates that even with fortifications, a wall provides only modest capacity to stop illegal crossings. Determined individuals have demonstrated their ability to rapidly breach the physical barrier using saws, acetylene torches and other tools to cut through the wall within minutes and before patrols can respond.

    Tunnels, some over a mile long, have been built to smuggle people and narcotics into the United States. Storm drainage systems have served as ready routes for illegal entry.


    Building a wall spanning the entire U.S.-Mexico border would have its own negative consequences, including high cost, likely requirement for use of eminent domain to gain access to the property in some locations, and diverting resources away from other border control measures that have a higher probability of success.

    [RELATED: More Mexicans Leave the U.S. Than Come Across the Border]

    Apprehensions along the southern border are down in comparing 2014 and 2015 data, though the number of unaccompanied minors is growing. Additionally, the number of visa overstays – 500,000 in fiscal year 2015 alone – highlights a larger problem with illegal immigration.

    Border security requires a collection of federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments working together in unison. At the federal level alone, the collaboration at the border includes elements from the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Defense and the intelligence community to name a few. The list expands as issues demand. For example, if there was an ecological, chemical or biological threat, the Environmental Protection Agency would undoubtedly assume an important role. The growing number of states choosing to interpret federal immigration policies – some more and others less restrictive than federal policy – has further complicated the implementation of a national immigration policy.

    To improve coordination, Homeland Security's unity of effort initiative has created Joint Task Forces East, West and Investigations, led by the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, respectively.

    Recent testimony highlighted that the intent of these JTFs is to move from a narrow focus along the border to a layered system of security, enforcement and response measures based on situational awareness, intelligence and information sharing and operational coordination.


    International cooperation should be a foundation of this expanded approach as well. The home countries of illegal immigrants serve an important role in seeking to discourage those tempted to breach U.S. borders. Messaging should be clear and unequivocal; if caught, offenders will be swiftly processed and returned to their host nation.

    Only under clearly defined circumstances will asylum be granted.

    The processing of undocumented immigrants should be streamlined as well. The immigration court system should be more efficient with more judges and less processing time. In addition to messaging, important international collaboration supporting the return of people to their home nations should continue to be emphasized.


    [PHOTOS: The Big Picture – March 2016]

    More emphasis should be placed on expanding border security beyond the physical dimension. In this regard, electronic and cyber defenses should stand on an equal footing. For instance, continued and even expanded use of trusted traveler and shipping programs such as Global Entry and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorismshould be emphasized. Broader use should be made of technological advances that allow for enhanced targeting of suspect air and sea cargo and individuals. Information sharing should span all levels across government and industry, and more powerful targeting algorithms to identify and prevent border intrusions should be deployed.

    The importance of cross-border flows to building communities and economic viability on both sides of the border should be part of the calculus. In all of these efforts, the delicate balance between border security and the legitimate flow of goods and services should be maintained.

    http://www.usnews.com/news/the-repor...-on-the-border

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    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
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    Yeah, yeah, we want to start with the Big Banana, the Southern Border, build the wall and enforce the law. Coast Guard needs to beef up their checks of our ports and coastlines to stop the boat people and illegal trafficking through ships entering our ports. Air Force needs to be strengthened to protect our territory from coast to coast and the Navy increased to protect our 13 mile territorial waters.

    We have the programs, we just haven't had a President who wanted to use them to secure our nation. Now we have a candidate who does, his name is Donald J Trump and I hope every American who loves our country votes for him.

    PROTECT AMERICA!

    VOTE FOR DONALD J TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!
    A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
    Save America, Deport Congress! - Judy

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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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    Our gov't acts like there are no new technologies - in this geeky-techy age, DRONE THE BORDER, as in YESTERDAY. Well they missed that, so make it TODAY!

    Northern border too as Canadians are being arrested for jihad activity ties now that Canada accepts anything and everthing from anywhere.
    Last edited by artist; 08-07-2016 at 05:52 PM.

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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Predator drones do domestic duty

    September 12, 2011, 9:10 p.m.

    Most days, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer David Gasho sends three unmanned spy planes into the skies over the rugged Sonora Desert to hunt for drug smugglers crossing into southern Arizona from Mexico...
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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Texas Highway Patrol will deploy a fleet of six gunboats on the Rio Grande.

    February 29th,
    2012
    02:11 PM ET


    Texas 'navy' to patrol the Rio Grande

    The 34-foot-long boats, each powered by three, 300-horsepower outboard engines, will have bulletproof plating and six machine guns apiece, not unlike the river patrol boats the U.S. Navy used during the Vietnam War...
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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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  8. #8
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Mobile Camera Towers images
    myabccoolimages.com1600 × 1063Search by image
    a Mix of Camera Towers
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    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents ride ATVs near the US-Mexico border
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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Panoramio - Photo of Border patrol tower, Montezuma Passwww.panoramio.com687 × 1024Search by imageBorder patrol tower, Montezuma Pass

    9298 views



    Border patrol tower, Montezuma Pass
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