As a long-haired, brown-skinned Native man with an obviously Indian name, I have an easier time than most getting between the United States and Canada. Because I am a “status Indian,” legally registered with the Canadian government, I have special border-crossing rights under the Jay Treaty of 1794. The treaty is named for John Jay, the second governor of New York, who negotiated with Great Britain on behalf of the...
In 1990, there were fifteen international border walls, according to the political geographer Reece Jones. Today, that figure has more than quintupled — and it doesn’t account for the vast surveillance apparatuses that track and criminalize migration even in the absence of brick-and-mortar (and chain-link, and steel) barriers. By 2025, the global border-security market is expected to generate more than $65 billion in revenue. These structures and systems haven’t stopped...