Over the last thirty years, the United States government has reinforced security around its borderlands with Mexico continuously, with migration becoming a top political issue. But what does this mean for the residents whose lives straddle the border? This book investigates the disconnect between what border security represents for state and non-state actors, and the social, economic, and cultural realities of the borderlanders living in U.S.-Mexico border towns.

Focusing on the sister cities of Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora, the book classifies borderlanders into four categories and highlights the ways in which border security actually creates disruptions in historical cross-border interactions and forms of economic and human insecurity. The book paints a rich picture of transborder connectedness which contrasts starkly with the rhetoric of fear and invasion used by state and non-state actors. Its findings will be of interest to researchers and students working on border studies, international relations, geography, and security studies.