9/11 Impact on National Security

On September 11, 2001, there were loved ones lost, service members killed in the line of duty, and pain in the hearts of the people of our nation. Their deaths were not for nothing. Since that day the United States has upgraded its border security and airport security to combat the horrific tragedies that happened that day. 

Our nation’s border went through a massive make-over after seeing how badly it failed to flag the individuals that took part in the bombing. The people wanted to feel safe in their homes and with an everyone can enter attitude towards immigrants, the feeling of safety would never be found. 

The United States soon after the bombings in 2002 pass the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act and the Homeland Security Act. This made new immigrants have to get tamperproof and machine-readable visas; enhanced use of technology and data sharing between agencies; more training of fraud terrorist identification; and further information to receive a student visa. This led to increased deportations and detentions. [1] The 2010 Obama Administration played a big role in the deportations. They nearly doubled the previous annual rate of deportations, which was 200,000, to 400,000. [2]It was also ironic to see then senators Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama voted to pass the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which put in place the building of the fence along with the Mexico and United States border. [3] It’s funny to see the political figures now fighting against what they voted for in the previous year and persecuting the Republican party for basically picking up where they left off years before. 

Along with the border, airport security had all eyes on it. This was the first thing that was looked at to change since the bombings we in airplanes. We all have that parent that makes everyone get up so early to make it to the airport close to 2 or 3 hours early. No one enjoys it but that is the reality we live in. Pre 9/11 people could just show up at the airport and cruise through security in no time. Your family could even stand at your terminal and wait on you to get off the plane. This is why it was so easy for the terrorist to get on the planes and hijack them.

Putting the TSA into place was one of the biggest changes made to airport security after 9/11. No-fly lists were made for those who were flagged as suspicious. This caused people to spend more time getting through security but protected them more from possible terrorist attacks. [4] Also, the whole-body image scanners that we all go through now at airports were put in airports after 9/11 to scan for weapons and items not allowed to be brought on planes. It takes x-rays of people to generate an image of what is under their clothes. The cockpits in planes were also a concern along with airport security. They soon reinforced them and made it almost impossible for someone to get into them. 

Even though the events of 9/11 were horrific for all who had to watch, they opened the eyes of the nation’s government. 

[1] Deepa Iyer and Jayesh M. Rathod, “9/11 and the Transformation of U.S. Immigration Law and Policy,” American Bar Association 29, no. 1 (2012): 11.

[2] Mathew Green, “How 9/11 Changed America: Four Major Lasting Impacts,” September 2017, 1.

[3] Reece Jones, “Border Security, 9/11 and the Enclosure of Civilization” 177, no. 3 (2011): 213–17, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4959.2011.00416.x.

[4] Mathew Green, “How 9/11 Changed America: Four Major Lasting Impacts.”