But in fact as Secretary of Homeland Security General John Kelly acknowledged at his confirmation hearing, walls and barriers alone are insufficient to insure security.
ALAN BERSINNot only are the numbers of migrants entering the United States at the lowest levels in a generation, but they are now largely Central American.
More Alan Bersin Quotes
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The cry of “Make America Great Again” reflects accurately that, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the sole superpower status of the United States is coming to an end.
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The nationalism and the protectionism that was built into the Mexican Revolution in 1910 and that characterized the Mexican attitude to the United States for much of the 20th century were difficult to overcome. But that actually has occurred. And the cooperation.
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Migrants come up and no longer seek to evade the Border Patrol, but are actually left at the border by their smugglers.
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To add insult to injury, most Americans never knew that, and most Mexicans have never forgotten it.
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This is true despite the significant poverty, and the class and geographic inequality that have deep historical roots.
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In large part this is because of the success of policies followed by the United States to create an environment, a peaceful period in history in which economies could grow and countries could benefit.
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We do a trillion dollars in trade among the three countries; more than 18,000 American companies are involved in foreign direct investment in Mexico and Canada.
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The air passenger screening system Mexico has in place involves these checks against US national security and criminal data bases.
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Until we have a legitimate labor market between Mexico and the United States, people will attempt to come here to work.
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As former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pointed out, if you build a 50-foot wall, you’ll soon be confronted with a 51-foot ladder.
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People in our so-called Rust Belt have lost out, and politics and society have not been responsive either in providing the kind of additional support they need or to retrain them for jobs that are being created in the new economy.
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We should be wary, particularly with our closest friends and allies, of breaking down the trust and confidence that lie at the foundation of relationships.
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I think there’s no question that the barriers, the fences and in certain urban areas, the walls, have had an important effect in terms of increasing the manageability and the security of the border.
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Not only are the numbers of migrants entering the United States at the lowest levels in a generation, but they are now largely Central American.
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Twenty-nine US states depend on Mexico as their primary export market.
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