The Effects of 9/11

The appalling attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 were without doubt the trigger of dramatic changes. The global spread of insecurity upon public perception tended to restructure those existing mechanisms intended for providing national security. The US, as a prime targeted nation by that kind of terrorism, recognised the porosity of its borders and subsequently detected existing loopholes in terms of migration policies. In fact, the investigative results from 9/11 terrorist acts put in evidence significant weaknesses in terms of border security and migration. Precisely, the aim of the current paper is to evaluate the most notable effects that the 9/11 terrorist attacks generated in terms of border security and migration policies in the US. Those effects can be illustrated by first, the origin of new governmental security architecture, second, the implementation of more draconian policies, and third, the adoption of new control strategies. Considering also the great influence of an immigration securitisation strategy supported by the very nationalistic ‘war on terror’ discourse.

To begin with, the then existing governmental security architecture suffered a significant restructuration. One of the several responses as a consequence of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was the deep assessments to exiting mechanism of national security. The results provided the common recognition of significant weaknesses in the governmental apparatus. Before 9/11 most of the migratory responsibility was under the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). This agency principally was the target of severe critics and rigorous assessments. Conclusions from those evaluative efforts demonstrated the lack of capabilities and theref...

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... were evident after bitter recognition of substantial weaknesses in the migratory field. Consequently, the migration and border security policies suffered enormous amendments in many and substantial enforcement in others. Most enforcement, indeed, sparked notorious apprehensions and criticism as a result of the repressiveness in its practice. Furthermore, the implementation of new and aggressive initiatives has been taken. The use of complex and advanced technology, more secure and proactive detection programmes, and more cooperative cross border initiatives are the complementary effects witnessed in the US. No doubts, those effects are the responses to some questions that naturally Washington surely had to formulate and Meissner accurately pointed them out. What is wrong with the US immigration system? What changes are needed? And what it does mean for the future?