Iron Triangle CA FRQ

The southern border that the United States shares with Mexico spans almost 2,000 miles. The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border and Protection monitors the border. Walls, fences, sensors, and cameras already exist along a 670-mile portion of the border in an effort to decrease illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

President Trump is expected to finally go to California...in mid-March to see prototypes for a potential border wall and learn more about the construction… . Protests are likely amid debate over the President’s support for new immigration limits. Eight border wall prototypes are on display…. The thirty-foot tall barriers use varying configurations of steel, concrete -- even spikes-- to create ramparts far more formidable than almost anything in place along the 2,000-mile border.

• Washington Post February 26, 2018

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After reading the excerpt please respond to the following questions.

1. Referencing the scenario, describe the executive branch authority used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in building a new border wall.
2. Describe the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the U.S. government.
3. In the context of the scenario, explain how the role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described in part A2 can be affected by Congress.
4. In the context of the scenario, explain how the interaction between the Department of Homeland Security and Congress can be affected by an interest group.