Only 32 miles of U.S. Canada border secure

Published 10 February 2011

A GAO report found that only thirty-two miles along the nearly 4,000 mile border had “an acceptable level of security”; the report also found that the northern border posed a greater terrorist threat due to its size and limited law enforcement coverage that could allow terrorists to enter undetected; the U.S. Canada border stretches nearly 4,000 miles and is difficult to patrol due to its varied terrain; the report was released days before President Obama and Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper signed an agreement to expand cooperation along the border and expedite the flow of goods; in 2010 DHS spent nearly $3 billion to secure the northern border, making roughly 6,000 arrests and interdicting approximately 40,000 pounds of illegal drugs

With so much attention on the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. government has overlooked its northern border leaving it largely unguarded.

A recent investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that only thirty-two miles along the nearly 4,000 mile border had “an acceptable level of security.”

Senator Joe Lieberman (I – Connecticut), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said “These findings should sound a loud alarm to the Department of Homeland Security, the Canadian government, and our committee.”

The report found that while the southern border is more susceptible to drug trafficking and illegal immigration, the northern border poses a greater terrorist threat. Due to its sheer size and limited law enforcement coverage, terrorists have more entry points and can more easily avoid detection. This has also made the Canadian border attractive to drug traffickers, currency smugglers, and illegal immigrants.

The U.S. Canada border is difficult to patrol as a result of its diverse terrain and sheer size. Stretching from Washington to Maine, the border includes dense forests, vast open plains, and large remote sections that are far from inhabited areas.

The report found that U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency tasked with preventing the illegal entry of goods and people, lacked “the ability to detect illegal activity across most of the northern border” and did not possess “situational awareness.”

DHS works with local, state, tribal, and federal agencies to secure the border. GAO reported, however, that that, “long-standing coordination challenges between CBP’s Office of Border Patrol and ICE, ICE and DEA, and Border Patrol and Forest Service that may impede achieving border security goals.”

GAO recommends that DHS take the lead on interagency coordination and clarify mission goals, establish forums between various agencies, and reduce duplicate tasks.

In response to the report, DHS spokesman Matt Chandler said, the department has “made critical security improvements along the northern border, deploying additional Border Patrol agents, technology and infrastructure” and is in the midst of establishing a “northern border strategy” to address concerns.

Last year DHS spent nearly $3 billion to secure the northern border, making roughly 6,000 arrests and interdicting approximately 40,000 pounds of illegal drugs.

The GAO report was released days before President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed an agreement to expand trade and security along the border.

In the wake of 9/11, the United States imposed stricter measures along its bordersto prevent terrorists or weapons from entering. To streamline the process and expedite the flow of goods and people, the two leaders announced the creation of the United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC).

In a joint statement, they announced, “we intend to pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our two countries.”

Every day roughly 300,000 people cross the border, while each minute nearly $1 million in goods and services travel between the two countries.