Page 22 - Flathead Beacon // 9.9.15

NEWS
COVER
reviewed the nation’s northern border in 2010 and determined the threat of poten- tial terrorists entering the country from Canada was greater than through Mex- ico. Of the nearly 4,000 miles along the contiguous U.S-Canadian border, only 32 miles achieved “an acceptable level of security,” the report stated.
In the last decade, the U.S. govern- ment has devoted more funding to devel- oping border security resources, install- ing technology infrastructure and other means of defense, including rolling out a growing number of unmanned aircraft to patrol from high in the sky, according to government records. A Homeland Secu- rity Air Wing was established in Great Falls and is one of five northern tier border security networks with air and marine law enforcement and surveil- lance capabilities.
Not every effort to expand the Bor- der Patrol’s abilities has been met with praise.
Critics emerged in force after H.R.1505, called the National Secu- rity and Federal Lands Protection Act, surfaced in Congress in 2011. The bill, co-sponsored by then-Rep. Denny Reh- berg, R-Mont., and 58 other Republican lawmakers, proposed to expand Border Patrol access to national parks and wil- derness areas despite major federal envi- ronmental protections. The bill would have allowed Homeland Security agents to drive vehicles and build roads and fences on any federal lands within 100 miles of the Canadian or Mexican bor- ders, among other activities.
Supporters of the bill claimed it would help Homeland Security secure the nation’s vulnerable sections of border. Opponents claimed it was an overreach of governmental authority and a threat to environmental safeguards. The bill died in Congress in 2012.
Two weeks ago, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., a senior member of the Home- land Security Committee, visited the ports of Piegan and Sweetgrass with Ale- jandro Majorkas, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Secu- rity. They also hosted a roundtable meet- ing with local law enforcement and bor- der agents in Havre, gathering feedback.
One of the top concerns raised was human trafficking across the border. According to the National Human Traf- ficking Resource Center, Montana has identified 112 victims of human traffick- ing since 2007. Enhanced collaboration among agencies was also brought up as a priority.
“Everyone is always focused on the southern border, but what they might not know is that there are serious national security and law enforcement issues that need to be addressed along the northern border as well,” Tester said.
GOP presidential candidates on the campaign trail have recently cued into the same concerns, with candidates such as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker saying more national security measures need
to be taken along the north border.
The anxiety is indeed legitimate and the challenges are sizeable, according to the nation’s former acting under sec- retary of the Department of Homeland
Security.
“We are in a huge period of change as
it relates to the threat of terrorism. The threat has really evolved compared to 10 years ago,” John Cohen, who served for nearly six years in the DHS before step- ping down last June, said in an interview with the Beacon.
Cohen, now a professor at Rutgers Uni- versity, said the challenges of defending the northern border are complex and the importance of keeping trade and com- merce from being stifled is imperative.
“If you make border crossings too
onerous for legitimate crossing, it would be the death knell to our auto industry and other industries that rely on trade with Canada,” he said.
As Montana’s No. 1 customer, Cana- dian businesses and consumers paid $586 million for exports from the state, such as energy, equipment and agriculture prod- ucts, in 2013. The overall bilateral trade relationship was worth $5.8 billion that year. More than 913,000 Canadians visit the state annually, collectively spending $275 million on average, according to government data.
Cohen said the U.S. in the last decade has significantly improved resources for tracking and analyzing possible threats tied to terrorist groups, and has also done a better job of collaborating with other agencies in the U.S., Canada and abroad.
The Obama administration’s fiscal year 2016 budget proposal was for $41.2 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Homeland Security. This included supporting 21,370 Border Patrol agents and 23,871 Customs and Border Protection officers, who serve at ports of entry. It also included $373 million to maintain border security infrastructure and technology.
“I think (border protection is) as good as it’s been,” Cohen said. “That doesn’t mean it can’t get better and that it’s not going to continue to be challenging.”
Social media and the Internet have made it harder than ever to track possible “lone wolf” terrorists who do not develop identifiable ties to overseas groups like ISIS, he said.
“The problem and the challenge we now face is we have individuals who are seeing things on social media, things on the Internet and are becoming inspired by the ideologies of these terrorist organiza- tions and they’re operating independently of those organizations,” Cohen said.
“That is a bigger concern along the northern border than along the south- ern border.”
U.S./CANADA PORTS OF ENTRY
CALGARY
ALBERTA CANADA SASKATCHEWAN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
BRITISH COLUMBIA
93 2
KALISPELL
MISSOULA
90
15 2
COEUR D’ALENE
GREAT FALLS
MONTANA
IDAHO
HELENA
94 90
BOZEMAN BILLINGS BUTTE 90
1. Rykerts - Porthill: BC 21/SH 1
2. Kingsgate - Eastport: BC 95/US-95 3. Roosville: BC 93/US 93
4. Chief Mtn: Hwy 6/MT 17
5. Carway - Piegan: Hwy 2/US 89
6. Del Bonita: Hwy 62/ MT 213
7. Coutts - Sweetgrass: Hwy 4/I-15
8. Aden - Whitlash: Hwy 880/MT 409
9. Wild Horse: Hwy 41/MT 232
10. Willow Creek: Hwy 21/MT 233
11. Climax - Turner: Hwy 37/MT 241
12. Monchy - Morgan: Hwy 4/US 191
13. West Poplar River - Opheim: Hwy 2/MT 24 14. Coronach - Scobey: Hwy 36/MT 13
15. Big Beaver - Whitetail: Hwy 34/MT 511 16. Regway - Raymond: Hwy 6/MT 16
M
OUNTED WATCHMEN FIRST
began patrolling the nation’s boundaries in the early 1900s, primar- ily along the southern border for the U.S. Immigration Service. The Border Patrol
Come on up and see for yourself, Essex is still beautiful and untouched by wildfires!
Rooms starting at just $89 for the month of September
Local Appreciation Sale
We want to say Thank You for all the support during this wildfire season
ESSEX, MONTANA
406.888.5700 IZAAKWALTONINN.COM
22
SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM