Persuasive Essay On Border Security

Illegal immigration has been around ever since borders were created to divide the world. The reasons for illegal immigration, stretch from escaping unstable governments, seeking job opportunities, and making money. In the United States, most of the current illegal immigration comes from Mexico and Latin America because of poverty and the lack of jobs (Wilson, Armstrong). The United States provides many cheap labor positions in construction and farming where business owners are looking for immediate workers that will get the job done. Unfortunately, illegal immigrants cost the U.S. government around $11.4 billion to $20.2 billion each year due to the use of America’s goods without paying all their taxes (Amadeo). Fortunately, over the

The actual southern border also evolved and expanded in terms of security and reinforcement. Since 1990, Border Patrol has built physical fences and barriers along the southern border to prevent illegal immigration. The first fence was established in San Diego, California and was titled the “primary fence.” This fence was made to stop smuggling yet more work needed to be done (Haddal). The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 issued a plan to build a fourteen-mile, triple-layer fence system between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. By 2004, only nine miles had been finished. This caused a subsequent act named the Secure Fence Act of 2006, to be passed. This act ensured that at least 700 miles of reinforced fencing must be built along the southwest border. The required fencing included 353 miles of Primary Pedestrian Fencing, thirty-six miles of Secondary Fencing, fourteen miles of Tertiary Pedestrian Fencing, and 300 miles of Vehicle Fencing (Federation for American Immigration Reform). These different types of fences prevented both people and vehicles from crossing the border (Haddal). The fences and barriers helped Border Patrol immensely by aiding in the prevention of illegal immigrant crossings, allowing less strain on the Border Patrol overall. These reinforcements have vastly improved both the border and Border