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.
ALAN BERSINI 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.
More Alan Bersin Quotes
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In the course of 25 years, we have developed a constructive relationship with Mexico that was nonexistent before.
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The idea was to restore the rule of law, to bring order to a chaotic situation.
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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 have to secure the flow of goods and people by engaging with foreign entities.
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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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Four out of five border-crossers detained in South Texas are Guatemalan, Honduran or Salvadoran. They are driven by violence and poverty in their home countries and the desire for family reunification.
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The potential of Mexico, Canada and the United States is enormous.
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Twenty-nine US states depend on Mexico as their primary export market.
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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.
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This joint security program has been in place for at least six years and is a huge asset.
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For the first time since the second World War, we are not the sole dominant economy in the world.
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The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts it will have a larger economy than Germany by 2042.
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We have to remember that information sharing is restricted by legal barriers and cultural barriers and by the notion that information is power and therefore should be hoarded so if you share information you can extract something in exchange.
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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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Walls and barriers alone are insufficient to insure security.
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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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In the last two years, the Mexicans have detained nearly 400,000 migrants whose intent was to come to the United States.
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The prospect of energy independence is within reach and will change the geopolitical situation of United States.
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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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If you build a 50-foot wall, you’ll soon be confronted with a 51-foot ladder.
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We must recognize that this massive economic bloc that’s emerging in North America cannot be accomplished unilaterally. It must be accomplished in partnership with Mexico and Canada.
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That’s the way in which they get entry into a system that will eventually release them into the country.
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People should remember that Mexican migration is now at a net negative.
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You need a strategy that involves layered defense: deployed patrols, sophisticated sensor equipment, and surveillance from the air. That is what has had a positive impact over the last generation.
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Mexico has become a robust democracy with a robust press and an active legislature.
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Most people who live at the border or are familiar with the border know that a Berlin-like wall stretching from San Diego to Brownsville is not necessary. And the costs would be prohibitive.
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