69 Million Reasons Why We Need a New Border
The US-Mexico border faces complex challenges, including immigration, sanitation, and security, that require binational solutions. Economist James Gerber argues for more intergovernmental collaboration, emphasizing the interdependence of border communities.
On the border between Mexico and the United States, the stakes are high, and the challenges complex. The region, spanning nearly 2,000 miles, represents not just a physical divide but a crucible of shared economic, social, and environmental realities. According to James Gerber, professor emeritus of economics at San Diego State University, the current governance models, which rely heavily on policing and surveillance, are ill-suited to address the multifaceted issues of this dynamic region. Instead, he advocates for binational institutions and intergovernmental organizations to foster cooperation and manage interdependence.
“The problems of the border region cannot be solved by Mexico or the United States alone,” Gerber stated at a recent seminar hosted by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). “We are interdependent.” This assertion underscores the necessity for coordinated action to tackle the region’s pressing issues, which range from sanitation, immigration, and public health to cross-border transportation, environmental quality, and personal security.
The border region is a complex ecosystem where communities on both sides are deeply intertwined. Gerber, who is also a research associate at the Center for Mexico-United States Studies at the University of California San Diego, highlights that the challenges here are not isolated to one nation. They are inherently cross-border issues—what economists might term "international public goods" or externalities.
For instance, pollution from industrial activities on one side of the border affects air and water quality on the other. Similarly, migration flows, drug trafficking, and arms smuggling have repercussions that ripple across the divide. “Damage reduction should be a main objective,” Gerber emphasized, noting that many of these issues cannot be entirely solved but must instead be managed collaboratively.
The human dimension of the border is staggering. In 2023, over 252.7 million people crossed from Mexico to the United States, with 69 million moving through the Tijuana-San Diego corridor alone—surpassing the total crossings at all U.S.-Canada border checkpoints. These figures highlight the extraordinary dynamism of the region, where daily interactions fuel a unique border economy.
Despite this vibrancy, economic integration remains elusive. Gerber points out stark disparities in income and infrastructure between the two sides. San Diego’s average income is three times that of Tijuana, creating a relationship defined more by interdependence than true integration. While retail trade and medical tourism—where Americans seek affordable healthcare in Mexico—bind the communities, the economic chasm remains a significant barrier to deeper unification.
The Role of Policy and Bureaucracy
Efforts to manage the border have often focused on enforcement rather than cooperation. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office, including its Border Patrol unit, has seen its budget balloon in recent years. Yet, Gerber contends, these measures have exacerbated problems rather than alleviating them. Migrants face mistreatment, drug flows have increased, and weapons continue to move south into Mexico unchecked.
“We have created a bureaucracy that has no responsibility or accountability, nor does it have to justify its actions,” Gerber said, underscoring the need for institutional reforms that prioritize transparency and effectiveness over sheer expenditure.
Tonatiuh Guillén López, former president of El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, contextualized the border as one of the most dynamic regions in the world—a space where cooperation and conflict coexist. He cautioned that ideological extremism on both sides threatens to destabilize the delicate balance that sustains the border’s unique ecosystems, economies, and cultures.
For decades, the region has been a laboratory of interdependence, where cross-border practices—economic, social, and cultural—defy the simple narratives of division. Yet, Guillén López warned, political pressures, particularly those exerted on the Mexican government, could complicate efforts to foster collaboration. “The border will now be a space where political dynamics that represent great pressure for the Mexican government will be displayed,” he observed.
The challenges of the Mexico-U.S. border demand innovative solutions. Gerber’s vision of binational institutions and intergovernmental organizations offers a roadmap for a future where shared governance replaces adversarial policies. By addressing the border’s issues as shared responsibilities, both nations can move toward solutions that prioritize human rights, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
As Guillén López concluded, the border will continue to grow and evolve, building networks of interdependence that resist simplistic characterizations. It is a region defined not by its divides but by its connections—a testament to the enduring power of cooperation in the face of shared challenges.
