How To Secure The Southern US Border

Put Mexican hotel security in charge.  That will keep the vast majority of unauthorized people out.

I've written before about "security" at Mexico resorts before, here.  I explained in this post why I think this "security" exists.  And here I am in Mexico again, 6 years and hundreds of miles away from Puerto Penasco, and I'm up against "security" again.  Have you seen Spinal Tap?  "Security" at resorts here in Cancun goes up to 11.

My resort includes an all-inclusive option, and from what I understand, that is the issue.  What if someone were to sneak in and get a free drink, you might ask, to which I'd reply, they can't get a free drink if they don't have the resort's wristband on.  Same for food.  What about the pools?  Everyone working around the pools is looking for those wristbands!   This morning, I got thumbs-up from one employee as I was setting up my beach chair; he confirmed I was authorized to be there.

We have a security guard at the entrance to the resort whose job is to raise and lower the barrier so that cars can enter.  All the employees at the entrance to the building are checking for that wristband.  Why, I wonder?  What would be the harm if someone wanted to see the inside of the hotel?  Are they concerned that "the locals" would use the hotel as a thoroughfare to the beach?

Hyatt has a very nice resort next to the one at which I'm staying, and I thought I'd go see what it looks like.  I approached the front and was met by a pleasant but forceful man--I wasn't authorized.  I told him I wanted to see the resort so I could determine if I wanted to stay there some time, so he sent me to the concierge desk--and he watched me the entire time I walked there to make sure I didn't deviate from the prescribed route.  After a brief explanation to the concierge, I got a personal tour of the lobby and pool areas of the resort!

Why couldn't I just have walked around?  It's not like I could have gotten any free stuff, as I didn't have that resort's wristband.  The only thing I can come up with is that the resorts don't want their lobbies to be used as routes to the beaches, which are all public.  They want people to use the few public entrances to the beaches.

OK, I get that, but not every place will give a tour to a visitor.  I can't be the only person who visits other resorts to see what they look like so I know if I want to stay there! Is this not done in Mexico?

Bottom line:  no one breaches the frontier!  Yes, I'm sure there are ways people can sneak in--not every possible entrance, especially from the beach side, is manned at all times, but in general, no one except a guest steps inside.  And they're serious about that, too.  And employees will call people out, even guests, if they're not authorized somewhere; for example, there's an infinity pool here, but I can't use it.  It's right out the back door of my hotel, but it's only for guests of the Altitude Tower.  I have yet to see more than a few people in it at any one time, but I've heard (and read reviews) of employees calling out to unauthorized users (e.g., people whose rooms are in the original tower) and requiring them to leave that pool immediately, embarrassing them in front of other guests.

Security.  "Security".  They're not there to protect me from harm, they're not that kind of security.  They're there to keep unauthorized people out of the resort.  And from what I've seen, they don't do a horrible job at it.

So how does this post relate to the title?  How might we secure the American southern border?  Take a page from the resort security playbook!