Borders and Bridges: Recent Shifts in North American Relations   Presented by the Hudson Institute

Backgrounder Published by the Heritage Foundation Abstract: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has repeatedly adapted to meet a range of national security concerns. First created to confront the growing Soviet bomber threat, NORAD's mission has been expanded to provide aerospace and maritime warning for North America. However, U.S. and Canadian security interests do not end at the U.S.-Mexico border. To enable NORAD to better fulfill its mission, the United States and Canada should invite Mexico to join NORAD.

In the Summer 2010 Border Policy Brief released by the Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI), cross-border travel is reexamined in light of the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a US law that requires travelers to have passports when travelling to the US. Changes in cross-border trends at both the Canada-US and US-Mexico borders are analyzed to determine which factors more greatly affected travel.

It first started with Arizona's immigration law S.B. 1070 and now other states are also contemplating the implementation of similar immigration measures. However, the US Justice Department has now joined in filling a suit against Arizona and its Governor Janice Brewer. This all began back in late April when Arizona passed S.B. 1070 which allows law enforcement officials to question a person's immigration status if there is ‘reasonable suspicion' that he/she may be in the country illegally.