Patrick JacksonDr. DoyleENG101-S408 October 2014Protect Our BordersThe United States-Mexico border has been the center of much controversy over the past decade in the United States. The border wall, or border fence, is one of several barriers preventing illegal Mexican and South American immigrants from entering the United States. However, as statistics prove, immigration and drug trafficking have increased in recent decades and our “three-pronged approach” is failing to address the escalating problem. U.S. border security is not strong enough to deter these illegal immigrants and drug traffickers; our border wall must be fortified immediately. The Mexico-U.S. border barriers were originally built as part of a three-pronged approach to reduce illicit smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal immigrants. This operation would reduce drug transport routes from Central America. Three headquarters were established along the U.S. border: Operation Gatekeeper in California, Operation Hold-the-Line in Texas, and Operation Safeguard in Arizona. These strategically placed headquarters have done a remarkable job securing our borders over the past decade, but with drug trafficking on the rise, they need much more support from the government. Unfortunately, opponents of the barriers claim that it is instead a political ploy to incentivize foreign business and a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. These opponents view the U.S.-Mexico barrier as an ineffective deterrent against illegal immigrants and unwanted drugs that ultimately endanger the safety and well-being of immigrants seeking refuge in the United States. -United. The border between the United States and Mexico is strewn with dangers. ..... paper and drug trafficking has increased over the past decades and our current approach does not address the escalating current problem. U.S. security at our borders is not strong enough to deter these illegal immigrants and drug traffickers. Our border wall and security checkpoints must be reinforced immediately. Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends Project RSS. Np, and Web. October 5, 2014. Nazario, Sonia. Enrique's journey. New York: Random House, 2006. Print. O'Reilly, Andrew. “Border Patrol on alert after 71 people from countries hit hard by Ebola entered the U.S. illegally this year.” Fox News Latino. Np, October 3, 2014. Web. October 7, 2014. “Teenagers who crossed the US-Mexico border alone to enter school. » Fox News. FOX News Network, September 29, 2014. Web. October 7. 2014.