From ancient times, border protection in our country has taken root in the air, land, and sea. The borders of the nation are protected against illegal drugs, people, contrabands as well as weapon entry to the country. This protection is essential to our economic prosperity and homeland security. At the same time, control of immigration to the state plays a vital role in reducing illegal residents and immigration in the country (Oliver & Hill, 2014). Therefore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has installed extraordinary levels of technology, resources, and personnel as well as critical improvements in security that will manage and secure various regional borders.
At the same time, this department has made a vast improvement in the security along the border in northern, investing in increment of the border patrol technology, facilities, and agents while working hard to increase the strength of maritime national security. Additionally, the DHS has focused on the effective and smart enforcement of immigration laws in the United States while facilitating and streaming the legal processes of migration (Oliver & Hill, 2014).
DHs invest in technology, personnel, and infrastructure on the southwest border. The patrol at the border currently has a better staff compared to any point in time in its eight seven years of history. The population of boots has risen within the southwest border from an estimated 9,100 recorded in 2001 to more than 17,700 border patrol personnel. Similarly, the Immigration and Customs Enhancement that is ICE has taken approximately a quarter of its staff to the border in the southwest region (Oliver & Hill, 2014). The ICE has the highest number of personnel. As a result, the number of assigned personnel to the border has doubled. This border agent’s increment assists in dealing with and dismantling criminal organizations or groups along this southwest border, as well as increasing the intelligence analysts who focus on cartel violence as they work with their counterparts from Mexico.
Similarly, Customs and Border Protection have installed various border security systems on the southwest border. This border security includes the double detection canine group that identifies the currency and firearms, mobile and remote video surveillance system, radiation monitoring portal, thermal imaging system, and plate readers that read licenses (Oliver & Hill, 2014). As a result, CBP at the moment has the potential to screen all the southbound rail transportation of illegal cash, drugs, and weapons. The CBP has achieved expanded unmanned aircraft systems to all parts of the southwest border and completed a 650-mile fence.
At the same time, during the reign of President Obama, he authorized the addition of temporal National Guard agents. This guard provided additional security at the border to deal with illegal people entry, drugs, money, and weapons and handle violence at the southwest border.
In the northern border, DHs have worked to reinforce their security. DHS has installed a mobile surveillance system, a remote video system, and a thermal camera system at this northern border. This border has aerial coverage. On the northern border, approximately nine 949 miles from Washington to Minnesota, unmanned aircraft cover it together with the 200 miles in New York and Ontario. None of these unmanned aircraft was available before the formation of the DHS. Similarly, the CBP with the aid of the Recovery Act Funds modernized over 35 land entry ports within the northern border to ensure operational needs and current security satisfaction. This CBP increased the border patrol personnel along the northern border. Also, around 3700 CBP officers took the ground to manage the people and goods flowing across the entry ports and the northern border (Oliver & Hill, 2014).
Also, international partnerships are included in securing the northern border. In the second month of 2011, Canadian Prime Minister Harper and President Obama agreed on the “shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness.” This vision stressed shared responsibility to guarantee Canada and America’s security, re-silencing, and safety by addressing the many threats at early points and facilitating trade, jobs, and economic growth. Therefore, the vision statement aids in integrating the enforcement of cross-border laws and strengthening and securing the re-silencing of cyber security and critical infrastructure (Stevens, 2018).
Maritime security has also been tightened. The United States Coast Guards secure the nation’s maritime borders using well-layered security systems that originate from beyond the country’s physical borders. The USCG’s response operation and maritime security include aerial and water patrols, ensuring foreigners and goods enter the coast borders using the correct entry ports. At the same time, USCG has added the capacity and presence of maritime forces to address various threats. The forces ensure maritime safety and respond to threats from terror and the transportation of mass destruction weapons on the coast (Stevens, 2018). Therefore, this border security increases early detection of potential threats, aids in mobile surveillance, engages smugglers earlier, gives warnings early, and enables the USCG to work with various threats at early stages.
Radiation detection establishment, also, contributed to border security. The CBP introduced radiation portal monitoring devices and other detection methods for land ports, seaports, and mail facilities. In 2003, the radiation detection system scanned about 68 percent of the passengers’ vehicles and trucks arriving at the northern border. However, currently, the system scans passengers’ vehicles and containers 100 percent of arriving through various land ports and 99 percent of containers arriving by sea (Alperen, 2017).
Also, DHS has focused on effective and smart enforcement of the United States immigration laws. The U.S Customs Enhancement and the immigration (ICE) works to ensure the immigration laws adoption. The ICE ensures the adaptation of common sense regulations and policies. This policy provided an environment that is good for the enforcement of health laws that offer public safety, immigration system integrity, and border security (Alperen, 2017).
Recently, the federal government offered additional resources to ensure homeland security. In the first month of 2017, the United States president announced various executive orders that gave the DHS additional resources. In these orders, the personnel, tools, and many other resources were offered to secure the borders, enforce immigration laws, and ensure the no entry or remaining of individuals who can threaten the public or national security (Oliver & Hill, 2014).
Considering the people who arrive in the country as children is also vital. On 15, June 2012, Jane Napolitano, then- Homeland Security Secretary, issued the memorandum referred to as “Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion concerning an individual who to the United States as Children.” This memorandum created non-congressional administrative programs that are authorized to permit some people who arrived in the U.S. as juveniles to meet various criteria (DHS, May 11, 2016). This program included those lacking the latest lawful immigration standards or status. These individuals need to request deferred action consideration for at least two years, work eligibility, and undergo a renewal process. Therefore, this program was called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals abbreviated as DACA (Alperen, 2017).
American citizenship talks of our trait as a warmly welcoming country that guarantees freedom and rights as portrayed by the Constitution. America is a country that resulted from the immigrant collection. This diversity of origin is the pillar of industry, arts, and culture. Therefore, the Office of “Citizenship and Immigration (Ombudsman) services is concerned with the improvement of immigration and citizenship services provided to people. This improvement is achieved by assisting various individual cases and providing recommendations that improve the administration of immigration benefits. Using various multi-layered and risk-based systems, the DHS has taken critical phases to ensure no immigration benefit is granted to people who can threaten national security (Alperen, 2017).
Marriage brings immigration results, and it is vital to consider people who came to the United States as a result of marriage. The former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asked about implementing the court ruling about protecting the Marriage Act. President Obama urged the immigration services to review the visa petitions that were filed on behalf of same-sex spouses as well as those of opposite-sex spouses (DHS, May 11, 2016). Therefore, the directions benefit married immigrants who want to have spouses in the country.
Also, DHS through the usage of the immigration and United States services gives immigration benefits to all individuals allowed to stay in the United States on a permanent or temporal basis (DHS, May 11, 2016).
In conclusion, many people wish to conduct business and visit the United States. The United States has provided the legal ways to get into the country. However, people wish to use the wrong roots to enter the country. This illegal entry of goods, people, and tools can endanger the inhabitants of our nation. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security has promised a safe home, starting with border security in the southwest and northern regions, maritime security, and all country borders. Not only the borders but also this department has ensured the enforcement and administration of our immigration laws. Therefore, the DHS is important in ensuring that a country is a safe place for everyone every day. It is always better to secure and manage today than wait for reactions that result from negligence and assumptions (Oliver & Hill, 2014).
Reference
Alperen, M. J. (2017). Foundations of homeland security: Law and policy. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
DHS. (May 11, 2016). Our Mission.
Retreived from https://www.dhs.gov/our-mission.
DHS. (September 15, 2017). Plan and Prepare for Disasters.
Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/topic/plan-and-prepare-disasters.
Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2014). Introduction to Homeland Security. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
Stevens, D. J. (2018). An introduction to American policing.
