Migration and the “Smart Border” Security Environment

This chapter describes how the Smart Border initiative is being advanced by the U.S. government, prominent members of Congress and President Bush. The initiative is seeking answers to the issues of undocumented migration to the United States. Several lawmakers have introduced legislative solutions to this problem, most notably in the form of a guest worker program. How do these migration reform initiative, and the migration flows themselves, fit into the larger Smart Border policy regime? What components of the Smart Border Plan will be applied to screen and track foreign nationals? What are the socioeconomic implications of such initiatives? What realistic political, social, and security outcomes can be expected? This chapter seeks to answer these questions by providing an analysis of migration and migration reform in the new Smart Border security environment of the post 9/11 era. The chapter begins by examining the international political context of these issues, namely border security and U.S. Mexico bilateral relations in the post 9/11 era. The chapter then turns to major policy options that seek to facilitate the movement of goods, services, and people in the United States, including workers, while also providing adequate security for a key part of America’s infrastructure, its international borders. Special emphasis is placed on efforts to enact some kind of migration reform in the United States. The chapter concludes by offering several policy recommendations to help deal with the question of undocumented migration and border security in the post 9/11 era.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0275987698
• Corporate Authors:

  Praeger Security International

  88 Post Road West
  Westport, CT  United States  06881
• Authors:
  • Ackleson, Jason
• Publication Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 144-164
• Monograph Title: Homeland Security Protecting America’s Targets. Volume 1 Borders and Points of Entry
• Serial:
  • Volume: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated highways; Border regions; Drug smuggling; International borders; Law enforcement; National security; Safety and security; Security; Terrorism
• Identifier Terms: Terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
• Uncontrolled Terms: Illicit trafficking
• Geographic Terms: San Diego (California); United States-Mexico Border
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01050160
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0275987698
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 24 2007 1:36PM