Has the US-Mexico border security been redefined in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks? If so, how is this reflected in US policy and public discourse? This thesis considers...Show moreHas the US-Mexico border security been redefined in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks? If so, how is this reflected in US policy and public discourse? This thesis considers the period immediately prior to and after 9/11 and proposes to look into three distinctive policy areas, namely drug enforcement, immigration, and counter-terrorism. Incorporating theoretical insights from constructivism and the Copenhagen School of security studies, as well as conceptual accounts of discourse in post-structuralist understanding, the paper investigates the changing practice and politics of US border security before and after 9/11 and assesses implications on the US-Mexico bilateral relations. This analysis highlights a complex nexus o non-military factors that pertain to security; it contends that the border was discursively framed as a national security threat by turning it into the point of intersection between aspects traditionally perceived as "threats"- drug trafficking and immigration- and the discourse of the war on terror. Ultimately, it discusses how the US redefined the role played by its Southern border in order to serve its national interests and consolidate influence in the North American region.Show less
