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An eight-point plan to repair the U.S.-Mexico border

Michael Dear, emeritus professor, city and regional planning | November 4, 2015

Ten years ago, in 2005, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security introduced its Secure Border Initiative (SBI). Today, the Mexico-U.S. wall is a fact of everyday life for millions of people who live in its shadow. Disagreements persist about how effective the border fortifications have been, but two outcomes are certain: the SBI intervention has … Continue reading »

Beware the growing U.S.-Mexico border industrial complex

Michael Dear, emeritus professor, city and regional planning | October 6, 2015

Border walls are the instruments of last resort in the armory of geopolitics. Their current proliferation on a global scale is an expression of failed diplomacy in response to conflict, persecution, and migration. The wall between Mexico and the U.S. is now deeply ensconced in the consciousness of communities on both sides of the international … Continue reading »

Dousing the flames of immigration rhetoric with facts

Michael Dear, emeritus professor, city and regional planning | September 16, 2015

The European Union confronts a massive crisis as migrants and refugees flood across its borders. Anti-immigrant sentiment has led Hungary to begin building a fence along its border with Serbia in order to keep migrants out. In response, Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, reminded us that walls won’t work: “We can build … Continue reading »