Border and Coastal Security: Open vs Closed Borders
Reflection Paper 3 - Due Apr 2, 2023 11:59 PM
The goal of this paper for you to write your opinion on Border and Coastal Security without using first or second person. In this paper, you get the opportunity to write your point of view on the material reviewed during the week – and the best part is that there is no wrong answer! This paper is your opinion, and as such, it is your job to express your thoughts in a manner that is comprehensible and clear for any and all readers. Feel free to write your thoughts freely, without any constraints.
After you finished the readings you selected for the week, it is time to brainstorm. Some simple brainstorm techniques for writing reflection papers can involve you answering some of the basic questions below:
How did the material on Border and Coastal Security affect you?
Did your learning about the material on Border and Coastal Security change your mind about something? If so, how.
Has the material on Border and Coastal Security left you with any questions? If so, what are they.
Were there any unaddressed critical issues not covered by the material on Border and Coastal Security?
How will the material on Border and Coastal Security impact your future in Homeland Security?
Components of the Reflection Paper
Introduction - specifies what you are reflecting upon.
Body Paragraphs – examines the ideas and experiences you have had in context to your topic. Be sure that each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence. Remember that your paper must be at least 2½ pages long and no more than 3 pages so clear and concise writing is critical.
Conclusion – summarize what you have learned from the material. Tell the reader how this knowledge affected your overall understanding of the subject. Describe the feeling and overall lesson that you had from the material on Border and Coastal Security.
Technical Requirements:
Your paper must be at a minimum of 2½ pages and a maximum of 3 full pages. It is important that you do not fall under or exceed the required page length since in the world of Homeland Security your readers, Homeland Security professionals and decision-makers have limited time to spend on a paper and learning to write concisely, and presenting your paper in a manner that matches their reading style is critical.
Type in Times New Roman, 12 point and double space. One-inch margins left, right, top, and bottom.
No direct quotations.
All paraphrases require a reference. All references require a paraphrase.
Border and Coastal Security
Student Full Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Full Title
Instructor Full Name
Due Date
Border and Coastal Security
This reflection paper will address the critical issue of open versus closed borders covered in the Border and Coastal Security material. One of the most important questions after the 9/11 attack was whether the US should implement an open or closed border. Although settlers found America, its immigration policy is essentially closed borders. For instance, there are very narrow exceptions under which an individual must fall to immigrate to the US. However, legal and illegal immigrants have continued to migrate to the US to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities the government gives its citizens. Given the pros and cons of an open versus closed border, this reflection paper will reflect on America’s border controls regarding national security, identity, and sovereignty.
America’s closed border policy has been justified to ensure national security, control migration, and rationalize trade. However, the forces of globalization are making it more difficult for the US to sustain tight border controls. For instance, the US Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies spend millions of dollars yearly protecting the country’s borders (Chamie, 2021). Border enforcement and policing are not only expensive but counterproductive in certain aspects. For instance, while the Trump Administration made great strides in containing illegal immigration and trafficking, it also emboldened criminal organizations to create a lucrative human and drug smuggling market. America’s closed border policy has also created a humanitarian crisis on the Southwestern border.
Many people immigrating to America seek a better life or escape social and political violence in their home countries. For instance, most immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Venezuela are victims of criminal gangs or domestic violence in their countries. These people deserve a better life if they are willing to work and pay taxes in America. While the currently closed border policy is necessary to ensure border security, rationalize trade, and control immigration, it also creates unique problems. Consequently, the open versus closed border policy is a relevant issue that can only be understood in the context of America’s tenets of sovereignty, identity, and security.
The US is a nation founded by immigrants. Therefore, it makes sense that the federal government should find ways of implementing an open border policy without com...