The 1970s and the Making of the Modern US-Mexico Border

This book examines United States policies fortifying its border with Mexico during the 1960s–1980s in response to rising crime, economic stagnation, and global insecurity. Using archival research, Brown highlights the origins of the ongoing US-Mexico border issue to shed light on current perspectives.

---

During the twentieth century, many Americans expressed concerns about the security surrounding the U.S.-Mexican border due to the lack of progress in achieving meaningful and effective immigration regulation and an inability to control growing drug trafficking. Despite publicly and privately striving for cooperation on these issues, Mexican and American policymakers struggled to arrive at viable and sustainable solutions. In The 1970s and the Making of the Modern US-Mexico Border: Building a Barrier, Aaron S. Brown analyzes the US drug and immigration policies from the 1960s to 1980s, how they applied to Mexico and the border, and how this shaped modern U.S. perceptions of border security. Brown utilizes archival research, newspapers, and other sources to investigate how US policymakers, border residents, and activists shaped policies aimed at eliminating rising crime, economic stagnation, and global insecurity. This book examines the origins of the ongoing US-Mexico border debate.