Secure Borders and Open Doors: Preserving Our Welcome to the World in an Age of Terrorism

摘要

As an international beacon of freedom and economic opportunity, and offering unique and attractive opportunities for international businesspeople, students, researchers, and tourists, America has long been a premier destination for people from all over the world. The unfortunate reality that our openness also provided an opportunity for the terrorists who struck on September 11, 2001 has created difficult challenges to this singular national attribute. These challenges exist not only for those industries and institutions who rely on international mobility to create jobs and economic growth in the United States but also for our government, universities, and businesses whose interactions with citizens of foreign nations encourage the growth of democratic freedoms, free markets, and human rights around the world. Since the 9/11 attacks, America has struggled to make our borders -- both physical and virtual -- more secure while maintaining the freedom and openness for which our country is celebrated. In the past six years, nearly every aspect of the visa and entry process has been overhauled. We have created a new U.S. Department of Homeland Security, established new agencies, deployed an alphabet soup of security programs across the U.S. government, reached security and facilitation agreements with foreign governments and international organizations, and placed new mandates on private sector and educational institutions. In particular, new security measures carried out as part of the visa application and review process, before international travel, at the point of departure, during a border inspection, and via other means have responded to particular weaknesses in our systems, including many identified by the 9/11 commission.