Marina Ristic
AMN195.5115
Prof Lipitz
U.S. PROJECT TO SECURE BORDERS IMMIGRATION IN NYC
I read a very interesting article in the NY Times about a United States project to secure
borders in the Arizona desert. A largely unpopulated 28-miles of desert area will be a
testing ground for the latest high-tech campaign by the United States government. It
is estimated that project will cost 2 billion dollars and will cover 6,000 miles of the
Mexican and Canadian borders. This project will be coordinated by the United States
government in a partnership with Boeing, the military and aerospace company. Boeing
will be charged with setting up radar system, cameras, ground sensors, aerial vehicles,
wireless communications equipment and vehicle barriers, as well as traditional fences.
Border Patrol force is supposed to be made up of 18,000 officers by 2008.Department of
Homeland Security intends to achieve operational control of the border by year 2008.The
department is aware of decades of failed or incomplete border security efforts. The most
resent one, was a program known as the Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System that
turned out to be a failure, because cameras often broke down, fogged up in the cold and
rain, or were never installed as promised. Even when cameras or sensors set off alerts,
they were mostly false alarms or the Border Patrol did not investigate them. Because of
that fiasco, this time, Department of Homeland security is starting with tiny section of Arizona,
in case that strategy does not work, so it can be quickly adjusted. At Sasabe, Arizona, one of the
busiest spots for illegal crossings, Boeing intends to install nine tower-mounted camera and radar
system, to track movement, day or night in any weather. Sensors will be buried in the ground to
cover areas outside the radar’s reach. When the radar or camera notices activity, the cameras
would be used to figure out how many people are involved, if they are on foot or in a vehicle or
if the motion is an animal instead. Border Patrol officers will be able to monitor the camera
images from the field through wireless laptop connections. In my opinion, this new project
should be very effective and with all that equipment the Border Patrol officers should be able to
keep track of illegal immigrants, to catch them and return them to Mexico or other countries of
their origin.
The millions of people who have immigrated to this country have played a fundamental and vital
role in building the United States. Immigration has been a widespread phenomenon in last 50
years. The growing gulf between living conditions in the advanced capitalist sector and the
countries of the “Third World” has made economically advanced nations a center of attraction.
Most major cities in the United States have been greatly changed by this process. New York has
seen, definitely, the largest and fastest transformation of this kind. Roughly 100,000 immigrants
have been arriving and making New York City their home each year for the past decade. One
million has come since 1990.There are many section of the City which have become a mix of
languages, cultures and nationalities. The borough of Queens includes 167 nationalities and 116
languages, the greatest variety in the country and undoubtedly in the world.Nearly every country
in Latin America is represented in the Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona sections of Queens.
Today the immigrants come from literally every corner of the globe. Most of the new immigrants
originated from Mexico, Dominican Republic, India, Pakistan, former Soviet Union and
Bangladesh shows the relationship between immigration trends and economic reality. In all these
areas, there is not only simply economic suffering, but also very little hope for any change for
the better! The largest groups of immigrants are coming from China, South Asia, West Indies,
Russia and Eastern Europe. There is also steady stream of immigrants from West Africa and
Central America. American capitalism has announced its willingness to accept larger number of
immigrants. Federal legislation has changed more than three decades ago, and resulted in
increasing number of immigrants coming from the world’s poorest regions.
In conclusion, large number of immigrants that are coming to New York City
every single day have a tremendous influence in every aspect of society. With the diversity that
they bring to New York City like their different cultures, languages, customs, religion and beliefs
they definitely shape New York City, making it THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD.