The United States and Mexico share a nearly 2,000-mile land border. Along the way, the American states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas abut the Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.
Where do people live on the border?
The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the US–Mexico border region is home to around 15 million people. More than 1 million live in 15 groups of sister cities established over decades of binational relations to coordinate emergency response plans. The largest US cities on the border are San Diego, California; El Paso, Texas; and Laredo, Texas.
Where do people cross the border?
People can cross international borders in a controlled way at ports of entry. As of September 2023, there were 47 active land ports of entry along the US–Mexico border.
How is the border patrolled?
Border security is managed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a component of the Department of Homeland Security. CBP’s law enforcement arm, the United States Border Patrol, polices the border regions and beyond by performing transportation searches and investigations. The Border Patrol uses electronic sensors, video monitoring, and night vision scopes to identify people attempting to cross the border.
On the southern border, the Border Patrol operates out of 68 stations grouped into nine sectors.
Even so, there are a medium of more than 200,000 encounters with unauthorized entrants per month.
Source: USA Facts