The United States of America continues to face unprecedented challenges even with the tightening of its immigration laws and policies. Ideally, while the better part of the laws are intended to create order and ensure the homeland is secure, a lot still needs to be done in order to contain the arising developments. One such threat that has recently surfaced relates to unruly crowds. Early last week, scores of people coming in from the Mexican border attacked the border control agents. The former had a spirited intention to veer through the agents’ containment and enter the United States of America. This overt use of force despite the obvious provisions of the law in addition to the dicey relationship America has with immigrants relative to illegal immigrants only means that a lot needs to be done.
Ironically, the unruly crowds do believe that by pelting stones, hurling insults and using force, they may and can get their way into the United States. While this line of action is naïve and unanticipated in the current century, it nonetheless exposes the intrigues in regards to the American immigration. The million dollar question is whether America should entertain such attempts and afford these people entry through civilized means. One would easily fall for the suggestion that America needs to afford the immigrants an opportunity into the country. However, before entertaining such noble allowances, it is in order that the nation reconsider’s its own economic and socio-political position. This is essentially because the immigrants more often than not lack resources and funds and would merely rely on the public facilities in America. In that context, the immigrants occasion a strain on the already paltry services Americans receive from their government. In that respect, it is in the nation’s own interest that immigration be contained and that only the essential immigration be allowed. For that reason, attempts into the American borders in methods such as the unruly crowds should be discouraged and contained. In international law and policy, it is a recognized fact that nations’ first consider their own interest before considering the regional and worldly interests. This should be read together with the precarious situation of the American security especially after the 9/11 attacks. There has been need to maintain internal and external security hence the tightening of the border controls. While the Mexican unruly crowds could be fleeing their nation on economic and social grounds, it should not be lost on America that the same leeway may be used by terrorists intending to gain entry into America for malicious purposes. In that context, it remains highly critical that the border control agents remain even more steadfast in their control of the border.
In extreme cases, the agents may consider seeking for reinforcement and more artillery meant for purposes of their own defense and that of the nation. The question of unruly crowds at the borders should, therefore, be considered in depth. It is essential that a balance be struck that addresses the competing interests in the best manner possible. In that vein, America needs not look too far. The memories and lessons from the 9/11 attacks remain raw in the minds of all living Americans. For that reason, unruly crowds must be treated with the seriousness they deserve and the border agents must see to it that the nation remains safe.
References
Anderson, S. (2010). Immigration. New York: ABC-CLIO.
Hess, K., & Orthmann , C. (2013). Introduction to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. New York: Cengage Learning.
Marosi, R. (2013, November 26). U.S. Border Patrol agents attacked by unruly crowd from Mexico. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-us-border-patrol-agents-attacked-mexico-crowd-20131126,0,7178670.story#axzz2lx8FVMYb
