Challenging the Border Threat Narrative: An Analysis of Testimony, Rhetoric, and Enforcement Data

Abstract

This thesis examines testimony, rhetoric, and statements made by State actors, for evidence that it creates and perpetuates the Border Threat Narrative. A narrative that establishes the U.S.-Mexico border as a place where violence, chaos, and danger, pose a significant threat to law enforcement, the homeland, and its citizens. This thesis also presents data and statistics from various law enforcement databases that refute the veracity of the Border Threat Narrative. The author further argues that the State imposes the Border Threat Narrative to successfully manage the discourse on border security. Lastly, the author discusses the challenges and obstacles encountered in discrediting the Border Threat Narrative.