U.S. Border Enforcement
Federal Laws and Requirements
Securing the international borders of the United States has been an issue of perennial interest and importance to the Federal Government. Federal law authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to construct barriers along the U.S. borders to deter illegal crossings. DHS is also required to construct reinforced fencing along at least 700 miles of the land border with Mexico, though fencing is not required to be deployed at any “particular location” along that border. Responsibility for carrying out these functions, and more generally securing the U.S. land borders between ports of entry, primarily falls to U.S. Border Patrol within…
