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Border and Port Security

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Border and port security agencies are charged with keeping their nations safe from terrorists and illegal, smuggled goods. RAND researchers examine border and port security challenges and immigration issues, and also advises U.S. Customs and Border Security on ways to best allocate its limited resources.

Report
Characterization of the Synthetic Opioid Threat Profile to Inform Inspection and Detection Solutions
The opioid overdose crisis has accelerated in recent years because of the arrival of potent synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and related substances. Analysis of regional trends can help inform decisions about how and where to deploy law enforcement interventions.
Sep 9, 2019
Research Brief
Human Smuggling Operations from Central America to the United States
Smuggling unlawful migrants from Central America to the United States generated between $200 million and $2.3 billion for human smugglers in 2017. The wide range reflects uncertainty about the number of migrants, their use of smugglers, and the fees they pay. Transnational criminal organizations are only one type of actor involved.
Apr 22, 2019

Explore Border and Port Security

Testimony
Getting Smarter About Border Security Strategy, Data, and Technology Infrastructure
There is no single solution for border security challenges. However, a network of mutually reinforcing and even redundant layers of defenses can enable the U.S. to better control its borders.
Jul 31, 2014
Commentary
Securing America's Ports by Better Measuring Capabilities
Funding for improving U.S. port security has declined from $389 million in 2008 to $100 million in 2014. This makes it more important than ever to ensure the highest possible return on investment from grant funding.
Jun 13, 2014
Blog
Saving Money by Using Advanced DoD Sensors on the U.S. Border
There is no legal reason why a DoD sensor should be excluded from use in an interagency technology demonstration or in an actual counterdrug operation as long as a valid request for support is made by an appropriate law enforcement official and no personally identifiable or private information on U.S. citizens is collected.
Jun 6, 2014
Testimony
Securing America's Ports
America's ports could be made more secure by improving the evaluation of port security programs; increasing the reliance on local risk assessments when awarding port security grants; and reconsidering the 100 percent container inspection mandate.
Jun 4, 2014
Report
Improving Interagency Information Sharing Using Technology Demonstrations
New and innovative intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technologies developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for the military could also be used by the Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration to help secure the southern U.S. border.
Mar 18, 2014
Commentary
The Real Homeland Security Issues for 2014
Americans should be able to discuss the terrorist threat and how best to meet it, how much of the country’s precious resources should be devoted to homeland security, and the impact intelligence efforts can have on personal privacy and freedom.
Feb 5, 2014
Commentary
Border Security Is Key to Immigration Reform
Two important aspects of border security bear continued attention: strategy must be developed as one part of a holistic system of immigration management and any progress on improving this system is reliant on having concrete and sensible objectives and measures of success.
Jul 15, 2013
Commentary
If U.S.-Mexico Get Security Right, Other Good Policy Will Follow
Obama and Peña Nieto emphasized economic cooperation at their summit not because security issues have gone away, but because the new rules of the game in this nascent relationship between the two leaders are evolving, writes Agnes Gereben Schaefer.
May 29, 2013
Commentary
Is Enforcement Key to Fixing America's Immigration System?
The current debate regarding comprehensive immigration reform offers an opportunity to redesign the worksite immigration enforcement system to achieve more efficient enforcement with better intelligence on where undocumented workers are employed, say Andrew Morral and Peter Brownell.
Feb 15, 2013
Blog
The State of the Union 2013
The 2013 SOTU address will be remembered for its impassioned call for greater gun control just two months after Sandy Hook. But President Obama's second-term agenda can be characterized by its sheer breadth, reflecting the broad range of policy challenges facing the U.S. today.
Feb 13, 2013
Commentary
Legalization and Border Security: Are We There Yet?
The White House and a bipartisan group of senators recently unveiled proposals for comprehensive immigration reform. The proposal raises a number of questions, says Peter Brownell: How would success in securing the border actually be determined? Would it mean absolutely zero unauthorized immigration across U.S. borders?
Feb 7, 2013
Blog
Potential Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Takes Shape
A group of U.S. Senators this week unveiled a proposal to reform the nation's immigration laws, outlining a path to citizenship for most of the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants and endorsing an increase of certain types of foreign-born workers.
Jan 31, 2013
Commentary
Revisiting 100% Inspection
It is good that the congressmen have asked the Obama administration to revisit supply chain security. However, precipitous changes to how the global supply chain operates do not seem warranted, may not in fact improve security, and could have costly unintended consequences, writes Henry Willis.
Jul 6, 2012
Report
Using Pattern Analysis and Systematic Randomness to Allocate U.S. Border Security Resources
Pattern and trend analysis and systematic randomness can be used to position U.S. border security personnel and equipment effectively for interdiction, and in some circumstances the combined approach is competitive with perfect surveillance.
Mar 27, 2012
Report
The Challenge of Violent Drug-Trafficking Organizations
Violent drug-trafficking organizations in Mexico produce, transship, and deliver into the U.S. tens of billions of dollars worth of narcotics annually. A Delphi exercise offers an assessment of the security situation in Mexico through the lens of existing research on urban unrest, historical insurgencies, and defense-sector reform.
Oct 21, 2011
Report
Four Approaches to Estimating the Total Flow of Illegal Border Crossings Between Ports of Entry
Fundamental to the question of border control effectiveness is the proportion of illegal crossings that are prevented through deterrence or apprehension, but estimating these proportions requires knowing the total flow. Four new approaches warrant further attention for purposes of supporting reliable, valid, and timely measures of illicit cross-border flow.
Mar 18, 2011
Journal Article
Deterring the Smuggling of Nuclear Weapons in Container Freight Through Detection and Retaliation
The authors quantify a game-theoretic model of terrorist decision making to understand the role of nuclear detection technologies in deterring nuclear terrorism.
Jan 1, 2011
Report
Measuring the Effectiveness of Border Security Between Ports-of-Entry
Focusing on three missions—illegal drug control, counterterrorism, and illegal migration—this report recommends ways to measure performance of U.S. border-security efforts in terms of interdiction, deterrence, and exploiting networked intelligence.
Jun 23, 2010
Multimedia
Mexican Security in Decline: Implications and Options for the United States
On June 17, 2009, Jack Riley discussed how Mexican security issues affect the United States, implications for traditional border concerns such as illegal immigration and drug trafficking, and various policy options available to aid the Mexican government in improving security.
Jun 17, 2009
News Release
U.S. Freight System Modernization Necessary to Reduce Bottlenecks, Improve Security
The long-term efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. freight transportation system is threatened by bottlenecks, inefficient use of some parts of the infrastructure components, vulnerability to disruptions, and crucial environmental and energy concerns.
Jun 9, 2009

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RAND Topic:
Border and Port Security

Research conducted by

Justice Policy

Researcher Spotlight

Douglas C. Ligor

Senior Behavioral/Social Scientist

Doug Ligor is a senior behavioral/social scientist at the RAND Corporation. His research areas include: homeland and national security law, regulation and policy, particularly as they relate to immigration, border security, migration, asylum, and refugee processing; space governance and…
Sarah Lovell

Technical Analyst

Sarah Lovell is a technical analyst at the RAND Corporation. Her research interests lie at the intersection of national security, emerging technology, and identity.

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