Illegal immigration across the United States' borders, in particular the Southern Border with Mexico, has been a continual problem confronting our local, state and national political decision makers. Over the years, numerous attempts at quelling this illegal immigration have been attempted. Attempts to eliminate this problem ranged from open borders, limited use of military force, economic development efforts, diplomatic efforts, and the eventual creation of a U.S. Border Patrol responsible for policing U.S. borders. Progress has not been easy and today, the United States finds itself in a continual battle against illegal immigration. Is illegal immigration of such importance to our national security that military force be used to combat this problem? This paper examines whether or not the use of military force on the U.S.-Mexico Border is a viable option to combat illegal immigration. This paper will propose that illegal immigration is a national security issue and there may be instances where the application of U.S. military force, whether it be active, reserve, or national guard to combat illegal immigration is appropriate. A review of past political, diplomatic, economic, and military tools previously proposed and implemented to address illegal immigration on the border will be provided.

Controlling illegal immigration into the United States has become a major issue in U.S. politics. A February 1997 report released by the INS estimates that there are currently 5 million illegal aliens in the United States. In 1986, when the estimated number of illegal aliens was also 5 million nationally, the U.S. Congress passed an immigration reform that allowed for many of the undocumented workers in the United States to become legal residents. Approximately, 3 million illegal immigrants have become legal residents since the passage of the 1986 legislation. The latest estimate confirms the claims of some U.S. lawmakers and immigration activists that U.S. immigration policy is largely ineffective. In 1995 two bills were introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives that called for the use of U.S. military forces to assist the INS in controlling the flow of illegal immigration. Both bills were killed in committee. With the most recent INS estimate, it is possible that similar legislation will again be introduced. This thesis examines the military option for border control. The findings are that the use of the military to control illegal immigration would result in lowered military readiness, and that the militarization of the border will produce tensions in U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Latin American relations. Therefore, it is recommended that the military not be used to supplement the Border Patrol.

"The simple truth is that we've lost control of our own borders, and no nation can do that and survive." ?Ronald Reagan America is under siege, facing a hostile invasion on its own soil that most of its citizens know nothing about: the invaders are illegal immigrants, their battleground is the U.S-Mexico border, and what's at stake is the money, security, and freedom of all Americans. In this chilling exposé, investigative journalist Jon Dougherty contends that today's unchecked immigration is destroying the very fabric of our culture and endangering American lives. With alarming new evidence, Dougherty argues that illegal immigrants are brazenly turning America's welcome mat into a doormat and our reckless policies and lackluster restrictions are allowing criminals, drug lords, and even terrorists to take advangtage of our freedoms. "If 9/11 can't get us to secure our borders," says Dougherty, "nothing will!" Featuring compelling real-life accounts from the people who engage in the battle on the border every day?Border Patrol agents, local residents, and citizen-enforcement groups?this book shows definitively how illegal immigration costs taxpayers greatly and threatens the lives of all Americans, native-born and otherwise. It also proves once and for all that our government is doing nothing to stop this ever-growing crisis. This is the untold, unnerving story of life on the U.S.-Mexico border?how illegal immigration is quicklly making us all strangers in our own country.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for securing and managing the nation's borders. Over the past decade, DHS has dramatically stepped up its enforcement efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border, increasing the number of U.S. Border patrol (USBP) agents, expanding the deployment of technological assets, and implementing a variety of "consequence programs" intended to deter illegal immigration. During this same period, there has also been a sharp decline in the number of unauthorized migrants apprehended at the border. Trends in total apprehensions do not, however, by themselves speak to the effectiveness of DHS's investments in immigration enforcement. In particular, to evaluate whether heightened enforcement efforts have contributed to reducing the flow of undocumented migrants, it is critical to estimate the number of border-crossing attempts during the same period for which apprehensions data are available. With these issues in mind, DHS charged the National Research Council (NRC) with providing guidance on the use of surveys and other methodologies to estimate the number of unauthorized crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, preferably by geographic region and on a quarterly basis. Options for Estimating Illegal Entries at the U.S.-Mexico Border focuses on Mexican migrants since Mexican nationals account for the vast majority (around 90 percent) of attempted unauthorized border crossings across the U.S.-Mexico border.

This government/court document, written by the United States Congress, is a hearing on the territorial integrity and safety issues involved in weak bilateral law enforcement presence at the U.S.-Mexico Border for American citizens.

Since the mid-19th century, the United States has frequently employed the U.S. Army on its southern border to perform various roles in support of the Nation, from outright war, to patrolling the border, to chasing bandits while securing persons and property on both sides of the border, and most recently to supporting civil law enforcement and anti-drug efforts. The military generally provides support to law enforcement and immigration authorities along the southern border. Reported escalations in criminal activity and illegal immigration, however, have prompted some lawmakers to re-evaluate the extent and type of military support that occurs in the border region. Events since 9/11, such as the recent deployment of National Guard Soldiers to the Mexican border, are only the latest manifestation of this long tradition. This book reviews the lengthy history of the U.S. Army on the Mexican border and highlights recurring themes that are relevant to today's ongoing border security mission. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

Yet the unprecedented buildup of border policing has taken place in an era otherwise defined by the opening of the border, most notably through NAFTA. This contrast creates a borderless economy with a barricaded border.".

No One Is Illegal debunks the leading ideas behind the often-violent right-wing backlash against immigrants.