Border security is, again, at the forefront of the current political debate in the race for President.  In 2004, more than a million apprehensions were made at the border between the US and Mexico.  In contrast, today, the number is less than 400,000.

While the work of securing our border with Mexico will always be ongoing, an incredible amount of progress has been made because of the investments in border security infrastructure and the mutual commitment of the Mexican and US Governments to collaborate on these issues and support the growth of lawful trade and travel.  In fact, trade between our two countries continues at record levels and travel between the United States and Mexico is similarly flourishing.

As GSIS Principal and former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner, David Aguilar, suggested yesterday in interviews with CNN and Fox News, the work of our men and women in uniform isn’t easy.  They are patriots for securing our borders and they are patriots for enhancing lawful trade and travel.  Through their efforts, and with the ongoing commitment of Mexico and the US, the border will become safer and more prosperous and we will continue to see the benefits of a collective effort to support quality of life on both sides of the border.