Patrick JacksonDr. DoyleENG101-S408 October 2014Protecting Our BordersThe U.S.-Mexico border has been the center of much controversy over the past decade in the United States. The border wall, or border fence, is one of several barriers that prevent illegal Mexican and South American immigrants from entering the United States. However, as statistics show, immigration and drug trafficking have increased in recent decades and our “three-pronged approach” is unable to address the growing problem at hand. American border security is not robust enough to deter these illegal immigrants and drug traffickers; our border wall must be fortified immediately. The Mexican-American border barriers were originally built as part of a three-pronged approach to reduce illicit smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal immigrants. This operation would reduce drug transport routes from Central America. Three headquarters were established along the U.S. border: Operation Gatekeeper in California, Operation Hold-the-Line in Texas, and Operation Safeguard in Arizona. These strategically placed headquarters have done an exceptional job of securing our borders over the past decade, however, with drug trafficking on the rise, they require much more government support. Unfortunately, opponents of the barriers argue that it is more of a political move to instigate foreign affairs and a complete waste of taxpayers' money. These opponents see the U.S.-Mexico barrier as an unsuccessful deterrent to illegal immigrants and unwanted drugs that ultimately and inappropriately endanger the safety and well-being of immigrants seeking refuge in the United States. The US-Mexico border is fraught with a mix. ..... middle of paper ... ion and drug smuggling has increased in recent decades and our current approach is unable to address the growing problem involved. America's security at our borders is not strong enough to deter these illegal immigrants and drug traffickers. Our border wall and security checkpoints must be strengthened immediately. Works Cited “As Growth Stalls, Unauthorized Immigrant Population Becomes More Stable.” Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project RSS. Np, nd Web. 05 October 2014. Nazario, Sonia. Enrico's journey. New York: Random House, 2006. Print.O' Reilly, Andrew. “Border Patrol on alert after 71 people from countries hit hard by Ebola entered US illegally this year.” Fox News Latin. NP, 3 October 2014. Web. 07 October 2014. “Teens who crossed the US-Mexico border alone to enter schools.” Fox News. FOX News Network, September 29, 2014. Web. October 7. 2014.