Three's Company:US Borders After September 11

The movement of illegal goods and illegal migrants also points to the importance of Mexico. Ignoring Mexico leaves a large hole in the U.S. security perimeter. If it is so easy for goods and people to move across the border, how does the United States plan to improve security without Mexican cooperation? As long as the United States cannot set up an impenetrable fence across its southern border, it needs Mexico to be a part of the security strategy. The uneasy history between the two neighbors, however, complicates the task confronting policymakers on both sides of the border as they consider new security realities after September 11.