The Canada-US border, like all international borders, performs certain functions related to restricting, regulating and interdicting cross-border flows of people, products and pollutants. How border officials carry out these functions is shaped by historical factors and the political-economic agendas of state authorities. Though Canada-US border management has always been influenced by security issues such as boundary disputes, prohibition and illicit drugs, only since 9/11 has the border been viewed as a vital security problem in the context of American national security. This new reality has brought increased attention to the northern border and prompted a continuing debate about the appropriate balance between securitization of the border and facilitation of trade and social interaction
