21st Century Border Initiative

In April of 2010 the governments of Mexico and the United States issued a Declaration of the 21st Century Border. This declaration stated an understanding that: ‘’a joint and collaborative administration of their common border is critical to transforming management of the border to enhance security and efficiency.’’

The 21st Century Border Initiative of NDN/NPI has been designed to support, promote and develop this important vision for how our two countries manage our common border region. We have done this by facilitating events, papers, essays and creating a network of like minded individuals both inside and outside the beltway.

It is the core belief of this initiative that the bi-lateral relationship between the United States and Mexico is one of the United State’s most important relationships in the world. By the end of this year Mexico is set to be the United State’s second largest trading partner with more than a billion dollars in goods a day moving between our countries. The US domestic population is now 10 percent of Mexican descent, making our cultural, economic and familial ties extensive and deepening.

Through a new and better strategy, more resources and greater cooperation with our Mexican partners, the border region is much safer today. Crime is down, illegal migration has slowed, seizures of illegal drugs, guns and bulk cash has soared, all while trade and legal border crossings have increased. Despite the very real challenge of the cartel violence, the US side of the border has seen great progress in recent years. And while there has been great success in recent years in bringing about a better border region, of course much more must be done.

Below, please find some key materials and highlights from our past work on the 21st Century Border Initiative. 

NDN Backgrounder: The Border Is Safer, Immigration System Is Better For a history of our work and salient news from the current immigration debate check out our website, 21border.com. Below please find a collection of NDN resources on the release of the Senate and White House immigration proposals:

Simon's Statement - The U.S. Border Strategy Is Working

Simon outlines how the U.S. border strategy is working: Crime along the border is down,deportations of criminal aliens has increased, the flow of unauthorized immigrants has dropped as has the domestic population of undocumented immigrants in the United States.   There has been little to no spillover from the gang-related violence in Mexico into the United States, and seizures of narcotics into the country and bulk cash leaving the country have increased.As a result of this new and deeper partnership between our countries the American side of our common border is clearly safer today. 

President Barack Obama: Building A 21st Century Immigration System

In this speech, President Obama forcefully articulates the progress made in creating a 21st Century Border and connects it back to the broader struggle to reform our nations broken immigration system.

Video: Building a 21st Century Immigration System

Transcript: Remarks by the President on Comprehensive Immigration Reform in El Paso, Texas

NDN/NPI's 21st Century Border You Tube Page

For months, members of NDN/NPI's 21st Century Border Initiative have been busy cultivating a network of stakeholders throughout the Southwest and capturing their thoughts about the state of the U.S. - Mexican border region. You can watch them and other content on our new You Tube page.

Arturo Sarukhan & Alan Bersin Address on a 21st Century Border

Our inaugural 21st Century Border Project event was held over a year ago, and featured CPB Commissioner Alan Bersin and the Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan discussing the merits of the United States and Mexico working together to create a true 21st century border.

Video: Arturo Sarukhan & Alan Bersin Address NDN/NPI on a 21st Century Border

Transcript: Arturo Sarukhan & Alan Bersin Address NDN/NPI on a 21st Century Border

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on Progress Made Along U.S. Mexican Border

NDN/NPI hosted a key note speech from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano where she outlined the positive progress made along the Southwest Border.

Video: Napolitano Speech Details Progress Made Along US-Mexican Border

Department of Homeland Security Panel Discuss Progress on 21st Century Border

A panel of senior DHS officials discuss progress made along the 21st Century Border.

Video:  Distinguished Panel Discuss Progress on 21st Century Border

A Mayor's Perspective on the U.S. - Mexico Border

Chappell Lawson, associate professor of politics at MIT and Mayor of Nogales, AZ Arturo Garino talk about the perception, the reality and the positive gains in safety along the southwest border. 

How a 21st Century Border is Essential to Prosperity in Both the U.S. and Mexico

Maria Luisa O’Connell, Senior Advisor for Trade and Public Relations Office of the Commissioner US Customs and Border Protection, led a roundtable panel discussion on how the border between Mexico and the United States is an economic benefit for the country as whole

NDN Report: The Governments Strategy on The Border Is Working

After years of investment by the federal government along the border between the United States and Mexico there has been significant progress in creating a more harmonious region.

Key Materials:

21st Century Border Declaration by The Government Of The United States and Mexico  -  This intermestic agreement pledges to strengthen cooperation between Mexico and the United States by enhancing the economic competitiveness by expediting lawful trade, while preventing the transit of illegal merchandise between their two countries, facilitating lawful travel in a manner that also prevents the illegal movement of people between our two countries.

Comexi Report Managing the United States-Mexico Border: Cooperative Solutions to Common Challenges:  Under the auspices of the Pacific Council for International Policy (PCIP) and the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI), thirty distinguished businessmen, civic leaders, and former government officials from Mexico and the United States committed themselves to devising ways to improve management of our common border.

Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano: Making The Border More Secure":  This landmark speech by Secretary Napolitano encapsulates all of the work the Department of Homeland Security and Mexico have done on the border while also charting a path forward on what the future of the Border looks like. University of Texas at El Paso A Safe on: Secure Border Zone, Additional Steps and Reforms,  Southwest Border Results, Interior Enforcement and the Future of Border Security.

Staff

Simon Rosenberg: President, NDN/NPI

Alicia Menendez: Senior Advisor, NDN/NPI

Jake Braun: Director, 21st Century Border Initiative

Kristian Ramos: Director of Policy, 21st Century Border Initiative

Press

For all press inquiries please contact Kristian Ramos at kramos@ndn.org

For all booking inquiries please contact Alicia Menendez at alicia@ndn.org

Daily Border Bulletin – How Mexico Creates American Jobs, Tourism spending in U.S. surged 8.1% last year to $1.2 trillion, more

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up! Stories featured in todays bulletin include the following:

How Mexico Creates American Jobs Following NPI’s reports on Mexico’s contributions to tourism and trade with the United States, a new Wilson Center op-ed highlights the important job creation our relationship with Mexico. creates.

Tourism spending in U.S. surged 8.1% last year to $1.2 trillion The Department of Commerce recently released data that underscores the power of travel and tourism has in helping to jump start our economy.

Big earthquake hits Mexico, no major damage reported A 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook Mexico City for more than a minute recently knocking down cell phone lines and causing buildings to be evacuated. No major structural damage was reported.

NDN and NACTS Welcome Border Delegation For Roundtable Meeting At White House on Enhancing Travel and Tourism To The Region

NPI and the North American Center For Transborder Studies (NACTS) released a new report on tourism and the southwest region of the United States entitled Realizing the Full Value of Tourism from Mexico to the United States. This was the second in a series of reports seeking to educate the country about the evolving and growing economic power of the region.  The first report Realizing the Full Value of U.S.  Mexico Trade focused on the important trade relationship between the United States and Mexico. Taken together these reports tell a powerful story of a region which contributes mightily to the overall wellbeing of the United States. 

This most recent report comes in time to help inform a recent Presidential executive order designed to significantly increase travel and tourism in the United States. As the United States looks to increase domestic tourism, increasing tourism from Mexico should be a major priority for our new national strategy.

It is the contention of our new report that any strategy for increasing tourism to the United States must make increasing tourism from Mexico a major priority. 

Almost a quarter of all tourists who come to the US today come from Mexico.  Mexico is the 12th largest economy in the world and growing very rapidly.  With 10 percent of our domestic population in the US now of Mexican descent, a number which is also increasingly rapidly, the number of Mexicans with close relatives in the US to visit is growing and will continue to grow in the years ahead.

Our economic relationship with Mexico has grown by six fold since the passage of NAFTA in 1993, and today Mexico is the US's third largest trading partner and second largest export market.  And of course Mexico is by far and away the closest big country to the United States, offering yet another reason why targeting Mexico to increase tourism here just makes so much sense. For more information please click here.

NDN and NACTS also led a delegation of people from Arizona, Texas, and California for a roundtable discussion at the White House with senior agency officials from the Department of Commerce, Interior, Homeland Security and the Presidents National Economic Council on the importance of the Southwest Border to the overall economy of the country and the need to enhance travel and tourism to the region.  This is the third group of leaders from the border region that NDN has brought to the White House as part of a broader

This is only part of the story, the economic relationship that the U.S. enjoys with Mexico is enormous and growing, though underappreciated. Trade with Mexico supports six million of jobs in the United States, and millions of Mexicans visit the U.S. every year as tourists, growing local economies in the Southwest and the rest of the nation as well. Consider the following.

  • Mexico is our number 2 export market, that is to say, our second most important customer for items made in the U.S.A.
  • Mexico has the second largest number of visits to the United States, with 13.42 million in 2011, and account for a quarter for all the tourists that visit the U.S. annually.
  • There is more untapped tourism potential in Mexico. This is because of its growing middle class, now the majority group for the first time in Mexico’s history, as Mexican analysts Luis Rubio and Luis de la Calle outline in their new book Mexico:
  • A Middle Class Society: Poor No More, Developed Not Yet. Middle class status, which according to Rubio and de la Calle has been attained by at least 53% of the nation’s inhabitants, is measured in a number of ways. These include increased educational attainment, homeownership, automobile ownership, and the economic means to take at least one trip per year, among others.

 

Daily Border Bulletin – Tomorrow NPI Releases New Report on Mexican Tourism, MX's middle class is becoming its majority, more

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up! Stories featured in today's bulletin include:

Tomorrow New NPI Report This event and report comes in time to help inform a recent Presidential executive order designed to significantly increase travel and tourism in the United States. As the United States looks to increase domestic tourism, increasing tourism from Mexico should be a major priority for our new national strategy.

Mexico’s middle class is becoming its majority Mexico”s growing and vibrant middle class is growing faster then most anyone would have ever predicted.

Interactive Map of Where Latinos Live   new interactive map highlights the vibrant growth of the Hispanic community in the United States from the 1980′s to now.

 

New NPI Report: Realizing the Full Value of Tourism from Mexico to the United States

The New Policy Institute is proud to announce the release of a new report, "Realizing the Full Value of Tourism from Mexico to the United States." The full report comes just in time to help inform a recent Presidential executive order designed to significantly increase travel and tourism in the United States. This new report comes on the heels of another report from NPI's 21st Century Border Initiative, "Realizing the Full Value Of Cross Border Trade With Mexico." 

It is the contention of our new report that any strategy for increasing tourism to the United States must make increasing tourism from Mexico a major priority.  Almost a quarter of all tourists who come to the US today come from Mexico.  Mexico is the 12th largest economy in the world and growing very rapidly.  With 10 percent of our domestic population in the US now of Mexican descent, a number which is also increasingly rapidly, the number of Mexicans with close relatives in the US to visit is growing and will continue to grow in the years ahead.  Our economic relationship with Mexico has grown by six fold since the passage of NAFTA in 1993, and today Mexico is the US's third largest trading partner and second largest export market.  And of course Mexico is by far and away the closest big country to the United States, offering yet another reason why targeting Mexico to increase tourism here just makes so much sense.

In our report we offer five concrete steps the we can take to help unlock the tremendous economic potential of increasing Mexican tourism to the United States:

1) Include Mexico together with China and Brazil as Commerce and Interior’s targets for tourism promotion. Mexico is a large (113 million), middle-income country with the 12th largest economy in the world. It is hosting the G-20 conference this year and is an economic powerhouse in its own right. While the country currently ranks second in terms of visits to the U.S. and the fourth highest tourism expenditures of any other country, more needs to be done from a strategic approach with Mexico. The U.S. needs to make sure it is not unduly preventing law-abiding tourists
from enjoying its many attractions and tourism products, and that visits from Mexico help to rebuild the nation’s economy following the Great Recession.

2) Actively promote the United States tourism product in Mexico. There is an overall consensus by tourism experts that there is certainly a latent demand for travel to the US by Mexicans. Yet while Mexico is to some degree a natural tourism market for our country, there is currently no significant and concerted effort on the part of the federal government to promote US tourism in Mexico. Promotional efforts in Mexico have historically been led by cities and states, and though Brand USA is just now getting under way, the partnership needs to move decisively and rapidly to turn Mexican tourists’ attention northward in the face of stiff global competition for Mexican visitors and expenditures, mostly from the European Union.

3) Revamp the processing of tourist visas in Mexico to make it fairer, faster and safer while maintaining security standards. Visa requirements are expensive, onerous, and often serve as a deterrent for Mexican visitors, effectively “leaving money on the table” for communities in the Southwestern United States and even in the interior. Mexican tourists can legally enter the United States after applying for and being granted a Border Crossing Card at either the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City or at one of several U.S. consulates located throughout Mexico. Curiously, neither Mexico nor Canada is part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which grants citizens from 36 different countries the right to enter the United States for a maximum of 90 days without a visa.

4) Upgrade border infrastructure and invest in more staff to operate them efficiently. If we are serious about not leaving money on the table, the upgrading of the dozens of ports of entry along the border with Mexico should be accelerated. With a multi-billion dollar deficit in border infrastructure, the various border regional master plans—led by the State Department and Mexico’s Foreign Ministry—need to give greater weight to upgrading northbound and southbound passenger vehicle and pedestrian crossings. This is clearly a win-win situation for both nations. This emphasis should include enhanced staffing, technology, infrastructure and communications.

5) Actively facilitate Mexican tourism environments at the land ports of entry. As the official U.S. gateways for Mexican tourists, much more can be done to assure that Mexican tourists receive a just, efficient, and courteous welcome to the United States of America. The new Ready Lanes at 5 our ports of entry are an excellent start, but more needs to be done to capitalize on the entire economic potential of tourism from Mexico.

JOIN US TOMORROW: Lunch Time Discussion On New NPI Report Realizing the Full Value of Tourism from Mexico to the United State

Join us for an event tommorrow which will look into the economic impact tourism from Mexico has on the US economy, and offer suggestions for how best to increase it in the years ahead. At the event we will also be unveiling a new NPI report, "Realizing the Full Value of Tourism from Mexico to the United State"

Joining us for this lunch time discussion on March 20th will be:

Erik Lee – Deputy Director, North American Center for Transborder Studies
Eduardo Chaillo - Executive Director, Mexico Tourism Board
David M. Huether -  Senior Vice President, Research, U.S. Travel Association

Our event will take place on Tuesday, March 20th, noon at NDN, 729 15th Street, NW in Washington, DC.   Seating is limited for the event so please, RSVP today to reserve your spot.  You will be able to watch a live video feed of the event starting at 1215pm that day by visiting our spreecast channel.

This event comes in time to help inform a recent Presidential executive order designed to significantly increase travel and tourism in the United States. As the United States looks to increase domestic tourism, increasing tourism from Mexico should be a major priority for our new national strategy.  Consider the following.

Mexico is allready the second largest suplier of international visitation into the United States.

And Mexico is the 4th largest market for international spending in the country.

Taken together we believe it makes a great deal of sense for the US to make expanding tourism from Mexico one of the highest priorities of our new national tourism strategy.  

 We hope to see you tomorrow, and do look for our report on our website later that afternoon.

Daily Border Bulletin – AZ Bill To Instate Militia On Border Moves, Criminal's Part of Arpaio "Posse," How Romney Lost Latinos

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up! Stories featured in today's Border Bulletin are as follows:

Arizona Bill To Instate Armed Militia On Border Progresses To House Despite record lows in violence along the southwest border between Mexico and Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer is pushing a costly bill which would create a militia paid with tax payer money to roam the border region.

Criminal pasts don’t disqualify members of Arpaio posse  Americas most anti-immigrant Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been using ex-cons with arrests for assault, drug possession, domestic violence, sex crimes against children, disorderly conduct, to bolster his “posse” of armed volunteers who help the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office “enforce the law.”

How Mitt Romney lost Latinos Glenn Thrush looks at how the Romney campaign has severely alienated the Hispanic community heading into the 2012 general election.

 

Daily Border Bulletin - Arizona in Play For 2012, Pearce To Defend SB1070 In Senate, Immigration Detention Centers Get Face Lift

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up! Stories featured in today's Border Bulletin include:

Has Mitt Romney put Arizona in play for 2012? Al Kamen of the Washington Post examines recent polling data and demographic growth of Hispanics in Arizona and concludes that given Romneys harsh anti immigrant stances, states with high Hispanic rates may be in play in 2012.

Russell Pearce to Testify On SB1070  Russell Pearce, ousted Arizona Senate Majority Leader has agreed to come and defend SB1070 in the Senate on April 24th.

Detention for Immigrants That Looks Less Like Prison  In Texas the federal government has unveiled new detention facilities which are designed to look less like prisons and more “recreational” in nature.


Daily Border Bulletin Mexico’s Slim aims for U.S. Internet TV this year, Rep. Schiff seeks new penalties for gun trafficking

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up! Stories from today's border bulletin include:

Mexico’s Slim aims for U.S. Internet TV this year The richest man in the world looks to expand his multimedia empire into the United States by launching a new television station on line by the third business quarter of this year.

Rep. Adam Schiff seeks new penalties for gun traffickers  Rep. Schiff has announced that he intends to to draft legislation which will propose harsh penalties for straw man purchasers of guns that are smuggled into Mexico.

Immigration advocates march to support immigration reform In Florida activists marched against state passed anti-immigrant laws.

Also make sure to RSVP for our event on Tuesday, March 20th which will look into the economic impact tourism from Mexico has on the US economy, and offer suggestions for how best to increase it in the years ahead. At the event we will also be unveiling a new NPI report, Enhancing Mexican Tourism to the United States by Facilitating Gateways and Corridors.

Joining us for this lunch time discussion on March 20th will be:

Rep. Charlie Gonzalez - Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman, (TX- 20th)  
Erik Lee – Deputy Director, North American Center for Transborder Studies
Eduardo Chaillo - Executive Director, Mexico Tourism Board
David M. Huether -  Senior Vice President, Research, U.S. Travel Association

Invite: Today, Tues March 20th - Enhancing Mexican Tourism to the United States

Please join us today as our 21st Century Border Initiative looks into the economic impact tourism from Mexico is having on the US economy, and offers suggestions for how best to increase it in the years ahead. At the event we will be unveiling a new NPI report, "Enhancing Mexican Tourism to the United States by Facilitating Gateways and Corridors."

Joining us for this lunch time discussion will be:

Erik Lee – Deputy Director, North American Center for Transborder Studies
Eduardo Chaillo - Executive Director, Mexico Tourism Board
David M. Huether -  Senior Vice President, Research, U.S. Travel Association

This event will take place today, Tuesday, March 20th, noon at NDN, 729 15th Street, NW in Washington, DC.  Seating is limited for the event so please, RSVP today to reserve your spot.  You will be able to watch a live video feed of the event starting at 1215pm that day by visiting our spreecast channel.

This event comes in time to help inform a recent Presidential executive order designed to significantly increase travel and tourism in the United States. As we look to increase domestic tourism, increasing tourism from Mexico should be a major priority for our new national strategy.  Consider:

  • The pathways for trade and tourism are already well established.  Mexico is the United States’ third largest trading partner, second largest export market and sends the US over 13 million tourists each year, the 2nd most of any country in the world.  
  • Mexico is a big country, its economy is growing and it is nearby.  Mexico is one of the fastest growing economies in the OECD and will in the years to come have many more citizens capable of both value and high-value tourism in the United States.  It is the 11th largest country in the world, the 12th largest economy and there are more Mexicans living close to the United States than any other country in the world.  
  • Deepening family ties will drive even more tourism to the US.  With the US population now of 10 percent Mexican descent, and growing rapidly, deepening family ties between our two countries will give millions of Mexicans even more compelling reasons to visit the US – the chance to visit their families.    
  • Despite High Numbers of Tourists Mexico is Under performing. Mexico sends 6 million fewer tourists a year to the US than Canada does, a country with one third the population.  So it stands to reason that with a new strategy the US could significantly increase the annual flow of tourists from Mexico.

Taken together we believe it makes a great deal of sense for the US to make expanding tourism from Mexico one of the highest priorities of our new national tourism strategy.  

We hope to see you today at lunch, and do look for the report on our website later today.

Daily Border Bulletin: The Rise Of Mexico's Middle Class, Mexican Elections and Cartels, New Problem With AL Law

Your Daily Border Bulletin is up. Stories featured from todays Border Bulletin include

The Rise Of Mexico's Middle Class: An often overlooked development regarding Mexico is that a stable peso and freer trade have allowed the majority of the population to escape poverty and created a stable Middle Class

Mexican Elections and Cartels: A Looming presidential election in Mexico could alter how the Mexican government engages cartels in the southwest border.

New Problem With Alabama Immgiration Law: A little know part of Alabama’s immigration law has actually stopped the production of a high school play.

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